Paula Radcliffe has decided that she will run in tonight’s 10,000m final, just five days after crashing out of the Athens Olympic marathon in floods of tears.
The decision was announced by the British Olympic team only hours before the contestants line up for the 25-lap race, which starts at 7:50pm BST.
The Bedford runner has been deciding whether to enter the 10,000m since dropping out of her favoured marathon in disarray less than four miles from the finish. Medical tests after the marathon did not explain what the problem was - but team doctors see no reason why she should not run tonight if she feels fit enough.
“I have just been talking to the doctors in the camp who have been examining Paula. They say there is no medical reason why she should not run,” said Richard Caborn, the Sports Minister. “She wants to get a medal, therefore her decision has been made.”
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“Credit is due to Paula. She is a very strong lady, both physically and in her mind. I hope she is going to do it tonight.”
Radcliffe is the country’s most popular distance runner by far but has never managed to win either a world or Olympic title - regularly being overtaken on the final lap by faster-finishing African runners. She finished fifth in the 10,000m in Atlanta in 1996 and fourth at the last Games in Sydney.
Although she is the fastest woman in the world this year over 10,000m, by a massive 26 seconds, Radcliffe’s decision to run appears to go against the advice of her many friends in the sport, who doubted that she would be either physically or mentally prepared after Sunday’s trauma.
“My personal view is that it would be a mistake,” said Liz McColgan, the Scottish former world 10,000m champion, yesterday. “Even if she runs well, all that mental anguish is going to take its toll.”
Radcliffe could well have decided, however, that tonight’s race could represent her ‘last best chance’ of an Olympic medal. She will be 34 years old by the time of the Beijing Olympics in 2008 - not past it in distance-running terms but certainly beyond her peak.
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Radcliffe was a silver medallist over 10,000m at the 1999 World Championships, but again finished fourth at the 2001 edition behind an Ethiopian 1-2-3. Her lone 10,000 metres gold medal came at the European Championships of 2002.
Since then she has stepped up to the marathon, twice smashing the world record and arriving in Athens as clear favourite despite a less-than-perfect training programme.
In Athens tonight, Radcliffe will again be up against Ethiopian Derartu Tulu, the champion from four years ago. But two other Ethiopians, Werknersh Kidane and Ejigayehu Dibaba, were marked down as favourites by London bookmakers this morning, with Radcliffe the 3-1 third favourite
Since Sunday’s heartbreak, and a press conference next day when she burst repeatedly into tears, Radcliff has kept a low profile in Athens. But team officials say she has gradually stepped up her training to keep her 10,000m options open.
At Monday’s press conference, Radcliffe explained how competing in the 10,000 had hardly crossed her mind, but added that the race could now offer a chance to make amends.
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“I came to run and win the marathon,” she said. “I am desperate to redeem something from all that work but I will not put myself into that arena if I am not right.”