Radcliffe Suffers Injury Setback

[EPelle]

http://uk.sports.yahoo.com/30042007/4/r ... tback.html

The latest problem yet to be fully confirmed but probably related to post-natal complications, has forced her to withdraw from the 10 kilometres fun run event in Battersea Park.

Radcliffe has yet to decide whether to defend her 2005 World Championship marathon title this August in Osaka or opt to compete over 10,000 metres at the Japanese venue.

[Matt]

Can't see her racing in Osaka.

Its a real shame - we never quite had a chance to see Radcliffe face the Africans when she was at her peak (2002-3).

I often wonder how she would have fared in the 2003 WC 10k - it was such an intense race.

It surprises me that she is still even considering the 10k as she has not run a decent track 10k for years. The event has moved on.

Good luck to her in her recovery anyway.

[eldrick]

no women has run a really fast 10k since '03 in paris, so i'm not sure if you can claim the event has "moved on"

if one or 2 gals had gone < 30'10 since then, then perhaps there's some legitimacy in the claim

so if paula is anywhere near < 30'10 shape, she has a chance

[Matt]

I meant moved on in the sense that there are more and superior athletes competing in the event now - its not always about times, Eldrick. See 2005 WC, Helsinki (Radcliffe down the field).

[eldrick]

you can't really claim that that 30'20+ paula in 'sinki was the "real deal"

with paula's style of racing - it is all about the times

at her peak, she will try to run 30'00 from the gun & if none of these gals have shown they can run this, then she can beat them - if they can't run 30'00, she'll whup them

event you claim has moved on, but i'm not convinced i've seen any 30-flat gals since '03

[Andrea_T]

I agree with Matt. I dont know enough about distance running and we dont quite know the extent of the injury yet, but I doubt she has the necessary background work to do the marathon in Osaka. I imagine her desire to compete and compete for herself would mean she'll therefore try and get into 10k shape instead.

If she does the 10k she'll probably finish about 5th or 6th. Unless she runs at an outstanding pace she'll just be pacemaker again and get outsprinted. I doubt she'll run any of the top girls into the ground. The conditions in Osaka will be tough. Let's not forget 30:01 was 5 years ago too.

The event has moved on. It's not just about one or two athletes being able to hang on and outsprint her. There will likely be four Ethiopians able to go out at a fast pace, at least one Chinese, and judging by Helsinki probably athletes like Kiplagat and Bogomolva, if they run that event.

[eldrick]

i certainly agree there are more 30'10 - 30'20 & 30'20 - 30'30 gals than 5y ago, but at the cutting edge ( & assuming paula's peak ), i'm just saying i'm not convinced there are more in the 30'00 - 30'10 range ( say likes of tulu, wami & paula from late '90s/early '00s )

[AS]

Perhaps we could join these two threads together:

http://mb.trackandfieldnews.com/discuss ... highlight=