New Paula Radcliffe t-shirt

[Pavilionaire]

By her own admission she was NOT at the end of her physical endurance.

She has said she had plenty left in the tank stamina-wise, but "she felt numb" and "her legs had gone". If she is so tired how come she is contemplating running the 10,000 metres?

I don't care that she didn't win. She could have come 300th for I care, as long as she finished the race.

 

[CHAPPERS]

Maybe I'm just old fashioned but the Diana syndrome of baring your soul to the world in your disappointment is not how I expect national heroes to behave. Cry your eyes out and gnash your teeth but do it in private, just what is the point in doing it in front of the world??

Because she felt she owed it to people. Personally I think it was a pretty gutsy thing to do. There was obvious media interest so she gave an interview, what would they have said if she had refused?

 

[smudge]

Because she felt she owed it to people. Personally I think it was a pretty gutsy thing to do. There was obvious media interest so she gave an interview, what would they have said if she had refused?

Exactly, you'll never please some people.

 

[Pavilionaire]

If you don't do interviews, the media will assume the worst and then print a story about it.

So generally a good idea to do an interview.

Somebody should tell Rupert Lowe...

 

[ShorehamGull]

Concerning the Paula Ratcliffe T-Shirt, utterley disgraceful, sent an email to the company complaining about it.

 

[Braders]

did you lot see the back of the Argus , apparently Wigan was a Paula Ratcliffe style performance

 

[Man of Harveys]

...although she made damn sure that her psycho husband was in the BBC studio as well, presumably to stave off any penetrating questions from "Crammy" which might have actually tried to discover whether she was a quitter who couldn't hack getting beaten.

 

[REDLAND]

Got to get me one of those

 

[Shizuoka Dolphin]

Typical overreaction that makes British sport a laughing stock around the world.

To be fair, I don't think anyone outside the UK gives the slightest crap about any of this.

 

[Brovion]

Oooh this is getting quite heated now! Anyway it makes a change, usually we moan about the plucky Brit coming in 56th and say why can't we be better? Now we get a really good athlete and we (quite rightly) moan when they can't even manage the traditional 'plucky Brit in 56th place' situation.

 

[Icy Gull]

Because she felt she owed it to people. Personally I think it was a pretty gutsy thing to do. There was obvious media interest so she gave an interview, what would they have said if she had refused?

Gutsy would be to refuse the interview and run the 10,000 even if she came last, not simper through a stage managed interview.

 

[CHAPPERS]

Gutsy would be to refuse the interview and run the 10,000 even if she came last, not simper through a stage managed interview.

Then the media would be even MORE on her back to 'explain herself' as to why she didn't win the marathon. Anyone that comes into the Olympics ready to run the marathonand the 10,000m gets my respect, end of. She's the greatest long distance runner in the world on her day and had a bad experience so everyone feels the need to have a go because once, just ONCE, she fails to finish a f***ing difficult race. Jesus CHRIST, what do you want from her??

 

[Man of Harveys]

She's the greatest long distance runner in the world on her day and had a bad experience

In the Olympics? Has it just dawned on her that, for an athlete, they're usually fairly important?

 

[CHAPPERS]

In the Olympics? Has it just dawned on her that, for an athlete, they're usually fairly important?

Who knows?

The fact is everything was against her for one reason or another yet the expectation was that she was still going to win and now that she hasn't the media are DEMANDING answers from her. It isn't right.

 

[Icy Gull]

. Jesus CHRIST, what do you want from her??

Absolutely nothing as I really don't give a shit. It's the circus that's grown around it that gets me. Just run the race and accept what happens. She is just one of however many ran but you ( and millions of others apparently) and she seem to think she is more important than the supposed also rans.

 

[CHAPPERS]

Just run the race and accept what happens. She is just one of however many ran but you ( and millions of others apparently) and she seem to think she is more important than the supposed also rans.

Not true, I am just defending her right to pull out of a race.

 

[aftershavedave]

what a great thread, loads of armchair marathon runners slating one of the finest athletes of her generation for failing to finish a race which would kill (literally) any normal person.

said armchair marathon runners then go on to "demand" that she runs 10,000m a few days later, because she owes it to the nation.

said armchair runners then grab another burger and fries, a supersize coke and recommence the keyboard battle.

 

[Titanic]

It's a running race - that's all - just a running race.

She gets paid a fortune for running - other people starve to death, or get killed in wars, or fight terrible diseases, or face all sort of tribulations. I'm sorry but my sympathy lies elsewhere and so does my interest.

 

[caz99]

wrong- she doesn't get paid a fortune for running they don't get paid for entering the olympics or the race. sponsership is another matter

 

[Titanic]

It is not wrong - she gets paid a fortune for running - currently estimated at £2m a year!

From a recent Grauniad article...

"Britain's richest sportswoman makes an estimated £2m a year thanks to appearance money, an autobiography and endorsements with Vittel water, Cadburys and Nike.
...

The bulk of her income comes from appearance money offered by race promoters. She received around £500,000 in appearance money and bonuses from the Chicago marathon, a figure London is thought to have matched in 2003."