Radcliffe ready to take marathon risk

PAULA RADCLIFFE insists she will still compete in the women’s marathon at the Olympic Games even if there is a chance she could break down with injury.

Four years ago in Athens Radcliffe began her bid for the one title that has eluded her throughout a glittering distance-running career carrying a leg injury and was subsequently forced to retire from the race with a stomach complaint caused by anti-inflammatories she was taking.

Her decision to quit four years ago was praised and vilified in equal measure, and now she is approaching the 2008 edition under an injury cloud after an MRI scan in May revealed a stress fracture in her left thigh.

The 34-year-old, however, has made a seemingly spectacular recovery, although she has been restricted mostly to pool and treadmill work. It means she has yet to extensively test her injured leg on tarmac having undertaken only a small amount of outdoor running.

Having confirmed she will compete in Beijing ‘unless my leg breaks down’ beforehand, Radcliffe reiterated she is intent on reaching the start line even if her ability to finish the 26-mile, 385-yard course is unclear beforehand.

Asked what would make her still race if her fitness was questionable, she said: “The determination to find out. It was different four years ago because I absolutely knew I was in really good shape but I wasn’t quite healthy.

“At the same time I really felt my leg would stand it. That wasn’t what stopped me, it was recognising the signs of illness. I’m really hoping they’re not going to happen this time because I was in really good shape.”

It would therefore suggest Radcliffe made up her own mind over her participation in Beijing despite UK Athletics performance director Dave Collins’ insistence on Sunday that it would come down to a joint decision between a number of parties.

“It’s not a decision that will be made. I’m racing unless my leg breaks down and I can’t run. That’s it. It’s already made,” she said when confirming she would run on August 17.

“It’s just the fact that because I’ve not been running huge amounts at full body weight outside on it, they (Team GB) don’t know whether it will get me there.

“The only decision that would be made would be made for me – and I don’t want to think about that.”

While the 34-year-old may have defied expert opinion that it would be impossible for her to be fit in time for the Games, Radcliffe admitted she was nevertheless unsure over her medal prospects.

However, she drew inspiration from a similar, if not quite as serious, scenario six years ago before she went on to win her first London Marathon.

“This time I think I’ve had the worst period of stress and now it’s just ‘get on and enjoy it’,” she said.

“I’m actually thinking it’s going to be more like the 2002 London Marathon when I had the nightmare with my knee three weeks before and didn’t even know if I’d be ready to start that race.

“When I got to London I was just really happy to be there and ran really well so I’m hoping this is going to work that way.”

Radcliffe also conceded there had been many moments of self-doubt during a gruelling rehabilitation schedule but believes it will make her mentally more resilient as she targets a first medal in her fourth Olympics.

“There have been lots of points where I’ve just thought ‘oh God, am I going to be able to make it?’ because people were saying ‘the leg will need this long, you can’t do this before this’ and I think that’s where it helped just to take it a week at a time and go scan to scan,” she said.

“The one thing I kept trying to remind myself was everyone’s different so you can’t say it definitely has to be this many weeks out, I might heal faster.

“I had to do as much positive thinking as I could and as much cross-training to stay as fit as possible. I had to be really inventive and do a lot of that.

“I think that has helped toughen me up mentally as well as the amount of cross-training and things like that – to push it a little bit but not push it stupidly to take risks. I’ve had to be very aware of listening to my body but at the same time ask questions of it and try and hurry it along a bit.”