Post by Taxigirl on Aug 28, 2004 9:10:48 GMT
news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics_2004/athletics/3607268.stm
Team GB athletics chief Max Jones has defended Paula Radcliffe's decision to run in the Olympic 10,000m final.
Radcliffe pulled out of Friday's final with eight laps to go, five days after after dropping out of the marathon.
"It was a run she had to do though the odds were stacked against her. I have massive respect for her - she'll come back a stronger athlete," he said.
"Paula had physiological tests from both the British Olympic Association and UK Athletics doctors before making her decision."
Radcliffe is starting to plan for the future and said: "I stopped because I didn't want to do myself permanent damage and I had promised that to the medical staff and the people around me.
"I've got to come back for myself and everyone who supported me but I've got to give my body a chance to recover."
Opinion has been divided on whether Radcliffe should have run again so soon after her tearful marathon exit.
She said: "It's never good to stop halfway through a race but for me it would have been quitting not to go out there and give myself half a chance.
"I wanted to run well for everyone.
"I felt completely empty after the marathon and then I started to pick up the pieces. I wanted to salvage something and I had to at least see if my body could do it again.
"I seemed to have recovered OK and it has been a gradual progression from being hardly able to walk up the stairs on Monday to being able to run at race pace on Wednesday night."
Radcliffe will undergo medical tests and after that will take a break from the sport to recharge her batteries.
Her decision to run and subsequent withdrawal met with a mixed reaction in the Saturday morning newspapers.
The Telegraph praised her for competing and the Mirror said: "She will still be our face of this Games."
However, the Express questioned if she would ever regain her best form.
Team GB athletics chief Max Jones has defended Paula Radcliffe's decision to run in the Olympic 10,000m final.
Radcliffe pulled out of Friday's final with eight laps to go, five days after after dropping out of the marathon.
"It was a run she had to do though the odds were stacked against her. I have massive respect for her - she'll come back a stronger athlete," he said.
"Paula had physiological tests from both the British Olympic Association and UK Athletics doctors before making her decision."
Radcliffe is starting to plan for the future and said: "I stopped because I didn't want to do myself permanent damage and I had promised that to the medical staff and the people around me.
"I've got to come back for myself and everyone who supported me but I've got to give my body a chance to recover."
Opinion has been divided on whether Radcliffe should have run again so soon after her tearful marathon exit.
She said: "It's never good to stop halfway through a race but for me it would have been quitting not to go out there and give myself half a chance.
"I wanted to run well for everyone.
"I felt completely empty after the marathon and then I started to pick up the pieces. I wanted to salvage something and I had to at least see if my body could do it again.
"I seemed to have recovered OK and it has been a gradual progression from being hardly able to walk up the stairs on Monday to being able to run at race pace on Wednesday night."
Radcliffe will undergo medical tests and after that will take a break from the sport to recharge her batteries.
Her decision to run and subsequent withdrawal met with a mixed reaction in the Saturday morning newspapers.
The Telegraph praised her for competing and the Mirror said: "She will still be our face of this Games."
However, the Express questioned if she would ever regain her best form.