Radcliffe statement expected as Olympic dream ends in tears

A “devastated” Paula Radcliffe will reflect today on the tearful end to her Olympic dream after she dramatically quit a gruelling marathon.

Britain’s best hope of an athletics gold was reduced to a lonely figure slumped in tears by an Athens roadside when she dropped out just three miles from the finish.

Exhaustion in the searing 35C heat was blamed as the athlete missed out on an Olympic medal for the third time in a row.

Still in a state of shock hours after the race, she simply said: “I’m devastated.”

She is expected to talk at greater length today about her nightmare energy-sapping run when she faces the media.

Adoring fans around the world had to witness heartbreaking scenes yesterday as Radcliffe tried to continue after stopping, but broke down again just moments later.

She faltered yards short of the 36 kilometre mark, struggled to get her rhythm back, then collapsed in tears at the roadside.

Thus was she denied the chance to enter the historic Panathinaiko Stadium, where hundreds of British fans were waiting to cheer her to glory.

Instead, she quietly slipped away 90 minutes later holding the hand of husband and trainer, Gary Lough, and looking pale.

A spokesman for the British Olympic Association described her as “emotionally and physically drained and very, very tired”.

Andrew Stroud, 34, from London, said there was “a huge intake of breath” in the stadium when Radcliffe pulled up.

“That’s the beauty of sport, the pain as well as the pleasure. It’s very painful right now,” he said.

The running ace was more than two hours into the event, and in fourth place, when she stopped.

She was losing ground in the blistering heat after completing 23 miles of the 26.2 mile event.

Initially a front runner, and slipping into her familiar “bobbing head” running style, she was still ahead at the half-way mark.

But at 25km, Japanese athlete Mizuki Noguchi and Ethiopian Elfenesh Alemu made a break and Radcliffe never made up the gap.

Noguchi won the race in 2hrs 26mins 20secs, just ahead of Kenyan Catherine Ndereba. Bronze went to American Deena Kastor.

Before the race, Radcliffe, from Bedford, wore a specially designed Nike pre-cool vest for 30 minutes to keep her body temperature low.

That should have allowed the 30-year-old runner to perform to maximum capacity over the demanding course, where the first 22 miles had many energy-sapping climbs.

Dr Clive Williams, professor of sports science, said the effects of dehydration would be exacerbated in the searing Athens heat.

“The killer is the humidity,” he told BBC News 24.

“In reality, once you get into these conditions it is a complete surprise, it feels like one is running in warm water.”

Rosemary Stanton, the wife of Radcliffe’s coach Alex Stanton, said she was unable to say what effect it would have on her career.

“She was looking for a medal, so clearly it is going to be a big disappointment to her and everyone involved in her coaching,” she said.

“It’s her way of life. But knowing Paula, she will just pick up the pieces and start again.”

Radcliffe’s latest disappointment mirrors an early career when her talent promised much but she was always frustrated on the world stage.

In 1999 she led for most of the 10,000m final at the World Championships in Seville, but was passed on the last lap and had to settle for a silver medal.

A year later at the Sydney Olympics she again took on the opposition and led from the start but was burnt off the track in the final stages and finished fourth.

Unlike Radcliffe, Britain’s other two marathon entrants finished with Liz Yelland coming home 25th in 2:40:13 and 36-year-old Tracey Morris finishing four places further back in 2:41:00.

Kelly Holmes will try to cheer up British spirits when she competes tonight in the final of the women’s 800 metres.

She hopes to go one better than her silver medal performance in last year’s World Championships in Paris behind her training partner, Maria Mutola, who again is the race favourite.