Paula Radcliffe - bottle job

[desprateseagull]

She is recovering from a stress fracture to her femur and had not been able to train properly and managed to finish the race in a creditable 23rd position (23rd in the world!) despite her injury and lack of training. Oh and she has won countless titles in the past and holds many records.

why are we sending injuredathletes to the Olympics?? you need to be at peak fitness to even have a chance.. now some other runner has missed out on a chance because of the selector's blind faith in paula radcliffe, despite her expressing concerns over conditions in China (its the same for everyone love), and i recall her making some excuses before the games too, about her injuries etc..

 

[beorhthelm]

32nd :thud:

32nd or 23rd, either way seems to much focus on the failure of Radcliffe compared to Mara Yamauchi in 6th.

 

[smudge]

Is it just a NSC thing to want to slate people with talent all the time.
f***ing armchair athletes.

 

[maffew]

She already said herself that if it wasnt the olympics she wouldnt have run. She probably shouldnt have, fair play though she finished it.

A Legend she is

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

...didnt she win the NYC marathon (one of the majors I add) only last November. Hardly a woman in decline.

 

[Lord Large]

The title of the thread was perhaps slightly wrong.

The point I was making was less having a pop at HER more a criticism of the BBC et al who hold her up as some sort of hero for finishing when elsewhere in the field we have a runner who came sixth.

Fair play to Radcliffe for finishing. But don't go over the top about the fact she managed to...

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

i agree,but she was clearly not fit and ready,why go?have we got no other runners

Team GB gave her the benefit of the doubt. Had her injury healed a little better or quicker she would have prob got a medal. The speed and extent of the healing process wasnt known at the time of the team's selection.

Her status as a truly world class athlete surely gives her some priviledges?

 

[Barrel of Fun]

I'd never.....undermine her achievements

Whilst admiring anyone with the capability of running a Marathon (let alone at the sort of pace that qualifies you for the Olympics) I'm getting increasingly convinced that Paula Radcliffe is over-rated in every capacity except that of failing to meet whatever expectations have been demanded of her.

She has been unlucky. Athens 2004 was her big moment, but unfortunately she did not come through. She was pretty much assured a medal if she could hit top gear and perform to her capacity, but she is not the first athlete to fall at the final hurdle.

I hope she is still about for London 2012, but that is a fair way off and anything can happen in four years.

 

[Bevendean Hillbilly]

Yeah, well running 26 miles in 35 degree heat with a barely healed broken leg is just typical of this ovverated bottle merchant

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Neglecting to mention her overall record...

World Championships
Gold 2005 Helsinki Marathon
Silver 1999 Seville 10000 m

Commonwealth Games
Gold 2002 Manchester 5,000 m

European Championships
Gold 2002 Munich 10000 m

EuropeanCup
Gold 1998 Saint Petersburg 5000 m
Gold 1999 Paris 5000 m
Gold 2004 Bydgoszcz 5000 m
Silver 1998 Saint Petersburg 1500 m
Silver 2001 Bremen 5000 m
Bronze 1997 Munich 3000 m

World Half Marathon Championships
Gold 2000 Veracruz HM
Gold 2001 Bristol HM
Gold 2003 Vilamoura HM

World Cross Country Championships
Gold 1992 Boston Junior
Gold 2001 Ostend Snr, long
Gold 2002 Dublin Snr, long
Silver 1997 Turin Snr, long
Silver 1998 Marrakech Snr, long
Silver 2001 Ostend Snr, short
Bronze 1999 Belfast Snr, long

Marathons
Gold London Marathon 2002
Gold Chicago Marathon 2002
Gold London Marathon 2003
Gold New York City Marathon 2004
Gold London Marathon 2005
Gold New York City Marathon 2007

Clearly over rated.

 

[Storer68]

and I thought the Olympics was all about taking aprt.

Hats off to her for finishing....... on one leg in 2 hrs 32 - would have been 10th in the 1984 Women's marathon

exceptional performance

which is more than any of us could do

 

[El Presidente]

To be fair it can't help having to carry a portable toilet on wheels behind her for 26 miles........just in case lightning strikes twice

 

[Buzzer]

To be fair it can't help having to carry a portable toilet on wheels behind her for 26 miles........just in case lightning strikes twice

I'd be okay with her peeing on me. Not being German I'm not so sure I'd be okay letting her do a runny number 2 though.