Sally Pearson became Australia's first Commonwealth Games 100m champion in 36 years on Thursday when she stormed to the women's title in 11.28 seconds, although it all ended in tears.
It was a season-best run by the 24-year-old who held off Nigeria's Osayemi Oludamola (11.32) in a tight finish with Natasha Mayers of St Vincent and The Grenadines (11.37) taking bronze.
But after three hours of drama and appeals, the revised result sheet for the final confirmed Pearson had been disqualified for a false start.
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"However, the Australian Commonwealth Games Association was appealing the decision before a Jury of Appeal," said a statement from the Games official news service.
The medal ceremony had not been held and Australian team officials at the track said England had protested after Pearson was not penalised for a false start.
Instead, England's Laura Turner was held responsible, although after some angry words with judges on the start line she ran the race under appeal, only to finish last.
Relays showed Pearson, a Beijing Olympics 100m hurdles silver medallist, clearly false starting. She held her head in her hands but kept her focus as Turner argued the point.
"I was pretty scared. I thought I had false started," she told Australian television after the race.
"I stayed on the track. I had no choice but to focus on what I had to do."
Although the Commonwealth boasts four of the top six 100m sprinters in the world, none of them made the trip to New Delhi and Pearson made the most of their absence, powering out of the blocks and never looking back.
The Jamaican trio of Veronica Campbell-Brown, Shelly-Ann Fraser and Kerron Stewart all opted out of the event, as did Trinidad's Kelly-Ann Baptiste.
Fraser's decision to give Delhi a miss became apparent on Wednesday when the reigning women's world and Olympic 100m champion was banned for six months for failing a dope test.
Oludamola said whoever was responsible for the false start should not have started the race.
"Something went wrong with the start," she said. "I don't know why they allow people to participate in the competition if they cannot follow the rules.
"In small competitions it happens, but in very big ones they shouldn't be allowed to make a false start."
