New Paula Radcliffe t-shirt

[Dick Knights Mumm]

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.

Well that was not what I saw. She was physically and emotionally out of it. She looked to be in a distressed state. And not "just because she's losing". And how far would she have got without her legs ?

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

And the thought that anyone gets to the peak of athletics by being a quitter is frankly, laughable. World record peak, as opposed to Olympic peak natch.

 

[caz99]

Would you call yourself a loser or anyone else. Say your son or daughter was in a marathon and they wanted to pull out as they were in agony. Would you pat them on the back and then look them in the eye and say "Well done but you're a loser!"............I don't think so

 

[Hannibal smith]

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.

If we take that argument to the extreme, we wouldn't be able to criticise anyone if we couldn't do that ourselves. No criticism of Charlie Oatway for not being able to pass, no criticism of Tony Blair for the way he runs the country and no criticism of, well, hardly anything.

The fact is you don't need to be a marathon runner, be able to run 100m in sub 11 seconds or play professional football to form your own opinion on a sporting subject or for that matter any subject. The guy Asafa Powell didn't win the 100m because he couldn't handle the pressure, the commentators noticed he tensed up and he ran a bad time. He bottled it. Simple as that. That is the nature of sport - it reveals character flaws and there is no hiding place.

Now back to Radcliffe. If this had not been the Olympic Marathon and just say ' The Greek Marathon' I would bet any money she would have won. The pressure of the situation got to her - not a quitter, just couldn't perform under pressure and she's not the first. Instead of all this gnashing of teeth, it would be better if her team around her could understand why this was the case and worked on ways to control her nervous energy to make sure next time she is the best on the day. Judging by her teary performance on BBC last night that wont be on Friday in the 10,000 metres. Shame, If she could mentally pick herself up, she clearly has a chance of a medal and all this would be quickly forgotten if she could.

 

[CHAPPERS]

Now back to Radcliffe. If this had not been the Olympic Marathon and just say ' The Greek Marathon' I would bet any money she would have won. The pressure of the situation got to her - not a quitter, just couldn't perform under pressure and she's not the first. Instead of all this gnashing of teeth, it would be better if her team around her could understand why this was the case and worked on ways to control her nervous energy to make sure next time she is the best on the day. Judging by her teary performance on BBC last night that wont be on Friday in the 10,000 metres. Shame, If she could mentally pick herself up, she clearly has a chance of a medal and all this would be quickly forgotten if she could.

 

[Eastleigh Seagull]

spot on Hannibal

 

[Josky]

Give the man a cigar. Spot on, Hannibal.

The mental aspect of the sport is just as important as the physical and Radcliffe chokes when she gets to the Olympics. Fact.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

The fact is you don't need to be a marathon runner, be able to run 100m in sub 11 seconds or play professional football to form your own opinion on a sporting subject or for that matter any subject.

quite right, but just don't expect your views to necessarily be given the same respect as someone who has been there and done it.

Not that I am claiming any specialist knowledge in this area, although I did do a 10K in less than an hour once.

 

[Gwylan]

Would you call yourself a loser or anyone else. Say your son or daughter was in a marathon and they wanted to pull out as they were in agony. Would you pat them on the back and then look them in the eye and say "Well done but you're a loser!"............I don't think so

You never met my dad then.

 

[watsongooal]

The most annoying thing about all of this is that the media are continually dwelling on this. Just drop it, I am getting sick of hearing about "Poor Paula". She couldn't handle it and stopped end of.

Was it the heat? Why was she not training in similar conditions for the past year? How come the other two UK athletes finished who got no recognition and nowhere near the huge sponsorship she would have gotten.

Even when Kelly Holmes won last night, Sally Gunnell the big nosed minger bought up Paula's failure.

And if the conditions were so hot, why was she wearing a pair of woolly school socks?

 

[watsongooal]

The most annoying thing about all of this is that the media are continually dwelling on this. Just drop it, I am getting sick of hearing about "Poor Paula". She couldn't handle it and stopped end of.

Was it the heat? Why was she not training in similar conditions for the past year? How come the other two UK athletes finished who got no recognition and nowhere near the huge sponsorship she would have gotten.

Even when Kelly Holmes won last night, Sally Gunnell the big nosed minger bought up Paula's failure.

And if the conditions were so hot, why was she wearing a pair of woolly school socks?

 

[Lammy]

We do like to build them up and then knock them down in this country don't we. A Bit sad really.

She was running in 37 degree heat and had just got to the top of a big climb. She was not running to complete the race, she was running to WIN it. She decided to go all or nothing. Unfortunately she got nothing but at least she went for GOLD. I'd much rather that attitude than some other British athlete after winning a bronze said "I've achieved my life's ambition". I've far more respect for Paula than that bloke! (Did anyone else hear that I can't remember the sport?)

Paula tried to carry on running after she stopped but found she couldn't. She couldn't even walk in a straight line! This is hardly the action of a 'quitter' this is the action of someone that gave their all but burnt out.

To call one of our greatest athletes a quitter is totally sad if you ask me and shows a complete lack of understanding.

If Stumpy had ran the marathon to try and win it rather than just complete it he would have been taken away in a ambulance after 5 miles!

 

[Lammy]

The most annoying thing about all of this is that the media are continually dwelling on this. Just drop it, I am getting sick of hearing about "Poor Paula". She couldn't handle it and stopped end of.

Was it the heat? Why was she not training in similar conditions for the past year? How come the other two UK athletes finished who got no recognition and nowhere near the huge sponsorship she would have gotten.

Even when Kelly Holmes won last night, Sally Gunnell the big nosed minger bought up Paula's failure.

And if the conditions were so hot, why was she wearing a pair of woolly school socks?

The race was supposed to be run in the morning under far cooler conditions. The course was particularly hard too.

 

[caz99]

We do like to build them up and then knock them down in this country don't we. A Bit sad really.

She was running in 37 degree heat and had just got to the top of a big climb. She was not running to complete the race, she was running to WIN it. She decided to go all or nothing. Unfortunately she got nothing but at least she went for GOLD. I'd much rather that attitude than some other British athlete after winning a bronze said "I've achieved my life's ambition". I've far more respect for Paula than that bloke! (Did anyone else hear that I can't remember the sport?)

Paula tried to carry on running after she stopped but found she couldn't. She couldn't even walk in a straight line! This is hardly the action of a 'quitter' this is the action of someone that gave their all but burnt out.

To call one of our greatest athletes a quitter is totally sad if you ask me and shows a complete lack of understanding.

If Stumpy had ran the marathon to try and win it rather than just complete it he would have been taken away in a ambulance after 5 miles!

 

[the full harris]

Attention

This product is no longer available.

 

[D'Angelo Saxon]

ah....Burn out that most English of excuses.

England fail in anything: burn out from too many matches

Radcliffe fails: burn out from the heat

It's called not preparing properly. You can't blame things like the weather in Greece for her failure. Its just sloppy preparation.

 

[Lammy]

ah....Burn out that most English of excuses.

England fail in anything: burn out from too many matches

Radcliffe fails: burn out from the heat

It's called not preparing properly. You can't blame things like the weather in Greece for her failure. Its just sloppy preparation.

You're right. You are told that the race will be ran in the morning. You prepare. You are then told you are going to run in the heat of the day.

Why didn't she think of that?

 

[trueblue]

Attention

This product is no longer available.

Yep. And now Im outraged because I no longer have the choice to decide whether I'm outraged by it or not.

What did it say?

 

[Lammy]

I really can't understand why so many people are upset that she didn't finish the race? So what? If a sprinter tears a muscle and pulls up you don't ecpect him to hobble to the line so not to let his team down?

Like I said before she ran to WIN! Not to complete it. It's not like you or I running the a marathon for charity. She is there to race. She went to the front but the conditions proved too much and she pulled up exhausted. So what? I'd much rather she did that, pushing herself to the physical limit rather than jog around to please you purists!

 

[Stumpy Tim]

If Stumpy had ran the marathon to try and win it rather than just complete it he would have been taken away in a ambulance after 5 miles!

Now that's a stupid comparison. Me completing the marathon was like her winning it - we have different expectations. I wanted to beat 4 hours, and missed it by 4 minutes. When I realised I was going to miss my target time I didn't stop, I carried on running as various cartoon characters passed me. I had my family there cheering me on, she had GB fans cheering her on.

Completing the marathon was a big thing, as many people on NSC will tell you. To suggest we would try & win it is plain ridiculous. It does your argument no service.