Injuries may derail Radcliffe

(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-08-04 09:10

Injuries cost Paula Radcliffe the 2004 Olympic marathon gold medal. Four years later, she is again battling ailments even before she gets to the Beijing Games.

Britain's world marathon record holder was diagnosed with a stress fracture on her left leg in May, and told that it was "impossible" for her to race in Beijing.

However, she is recovering rapidly, and British authorities have given her until the eve of the Aug 17 race to declare herself fit to run.

"It is going to be a race against time," the 34-year-old said.

The Olympic gold is the one remaining achievement that eludes Radcliffe in her glittering career.

She is desperate to win it, after retiring from the 2004 Athens race in tears, suffering from a leg injury aggravated by a stomach complaint from doses of anti-inflammatories.

She bounced back from that devastating setback to win more marathons, give birth to a daughter last year and continue to win races.

Paula Radcliffe of Great Britain runs en route to winning the 2007 New York City Marathon. Getty Images

UK Athletics is going to give her every chance to win the Beijing gold, even if they have found a stand-by ready to take over Radcliffe's place, Glasgow-based Hayley Haining.

"It is not a nice situation to be in, where you could be taking the place of an athlete who is injured and has earned the right to be there," Haining told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"They have to know either way if she is breaking clear of the injury, and if Paula is cleared to go, I would say 'good luck' and I hope she does really well."

There was new hope for her recovery last week, when she joined up with her British teammates at their training camp in Macau.

UK Athletics performance director Dave Collins welcomed the news saying: "I'm glad Paula's joining us. I'm sure she will have been maintaining her professionalism in training."

The Bedford-born runner began her recuperation from her ill-timed thigh injury by cross-training and swimming before gradually returning to running.

Her decision to fly out to the holding camp means she will receive treatment and advice from British experts before making a final decision whether to line up for the marathon on Aug 17.

She had turned her focus to Beijing after her dramatic failure at the 2004 Games in Athens in both the marathon and the 10,000m.

Her season has already been disrupted by a toe injury, which came to light after she finished second in the Great North Run last September.

Radcliffe won the New York Marathon last November despite the problem but it flared up again during altitude training in the USA in February, and she was forced to miss the chance to earn a fourth Flora London Marathon title in April.

Agencies

(China Daily 08/04/2008 page14)