Post by Taxigirl on Aug 26, 2004 10:08:41 GMT
news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics_2004/athletics/3597228.stm
Britain's Paula Radcliffe has been registered to run in Friday's 10,000m at the Olympics just days after pulling out of the marathon.
She was among the names listed to compete when entries were submitted on Thursday.
But Radcliffe can still withdraw, and is not certain to take part.
"It's now up to her whether she runs, but she does have the opportunity to pull out at any time before the race," said athletics team leader Max Jones.
Radcliffe, 30, is believed to have made a full physical recovery after dropping out of Sunday's marathon.
Jones added: "She's been entered this morning but all you are doing is confirming your original selections.
"I don't know what her intentions are, the decision will be hers and no one elses.
"Paula trained twice yesterday and she'll know better than me what kind of state she is in."
On Monday, in a tearful BBC interview with Steve Cram, Radcliffe insisted she would wait before making a considered decision.
"I desperately want to get out and redeem something, but I'm not going to put myself in the arena if I'm not right," Radcliffe said.
"Part of me wants to do it, but part of me does not want to put myself through it again.
"My plan was to win the marathon and decide after that."
Cram said on Thursday that he believed Radcliffe would make a final decision later in the day.
"She is still undecided and is talking to people around her," he said.
"Her heart very much wants to run the 10,000m, but her head is saying something very different."
UK Athletics chief executive David Moorcroft has said he would not be surprised if Radcliffe did run.
"The conventional wisdom is that it is not possible but Paula has a habit of making the impossible possible," Moorcroft told BBC Five Live.
"She wasn't able to take those savage conditions at the weekend but if her head and her heart tell her it's the right thing to do on Friday, then I guess it's the right thing to do.
"I think she probably will register for the 10,000m on Thursday which will give the indication that she wants to run."
Moorcroft added: "But I really, really hope that she leaves it to the last minute (to decide). I'd hate to see her go through that trauma again."
Sydney heptathlon gold medallist Denise Lewis believes that Radcliffe should ignore Friday's race and leave Athens.
Lewis, who withdrew herself from the heptathlon on Saturday after five of the seven disciplines, has considerable sympathy for Radcliffe's position.
"If Paula Radcliffe was my sister, I'd tell her to come home - her heart was broken by Sunday's disappointment in the marathon," Lewis told BBC Radio Five Live.
Britain's Paula Radcliffe has been registered to run in Friday's 10,000m at the Olympics just days after pulling out of the marathon.
She was among the names listed to compete when entries were submitted on Thursday.
But Radcliffe can still withdraw, and is not certain to take part.
"It's now up to her whether she runs, but she does have the opportunity to pull out at any time before the race," said athletics team leader Max Jones.
Radcliffe, 30, is believed to have made a full physical recovery after dropping out of Sunday's marathon.
Jones added: "She's been entered this morning but all you are doing is confirming your original selections.
"I don't know what her intentions are, the decision will be hers and no one elses.
"Paula trained twice yesterday and she'll know better than me what kind of state she is in."
On Monday, in a tearful BBC interview with Steve Cram, Radcliffe insisted she would wait before making a considered decision.
"I desperately want to get out and redeem something, but I'm not going to put myself in the arena if I'm not right," Radcliffe said.
"Part of me wants to do it, but part of me does not want to put myself through it again.
"My plan was to win the marathon and decide after that."
Cram said on Thursday that he believed Radcliffe would make a final decision later in the day.
"She is still undecided and is talking to people around her," he said.
"Her heart very much wants to run the 10,000m, but her head is saying something very different."
UK Athletics chief executive David Moorcroft has said he would not be surprised if Radcliffe did run.
"The conventional wisdom is that it is not possible but Paula has a habit of making the impossible possible," Moorcroft told BBC Five Live.
"She wasn't able to take those savage conditions at the weekend but if her head and her heart tell her it's the right thing to do on Friday, then I guess it's the right thing to do.
"I think she probably will register for the 10,000m on Thursday which will give the indication that she wants to run."
Moorcroft added: "But I really, really hope that she leaves it to the last minute (to decide). I'd hate to see her go through that trauma again."
Sydney heptathlon gold medallist Denise Lewis believes that Radcliffe should ignore Friday's race and leave Athens.
Lewis, who withdrew herself from the heptathlon on Saturday after five of the seven disciplines, has considerable sympathy for Radcliffe's position.
"If Paula Radcliffe was my sister, I'd tell her to come home - her heart was broken by Sunday's disappointment in the marathon," Lewis told BBC Radio Five Live.