Respect
17th August 2008
There was a false alarm yesterday, when the time of Paula Radcliffe’s press conference was issued a day early, sparking speculation that she may have been forced to pull out of the Women’s marathon. Luckily, it was just an error and she was in the starting line up this morning.
It’s an amazing feat that Paula is even in Beijing, having been diagnosed with a stress fracture during her Olympic preparations. After failing to complete the marathon in Athens, it was a brave decision to make too, to start a marathon not fully fit must be daunting, to start it knowing that you have to finish it irrelevant of the pre-existing injuries must add unimaginable pressure.
With this in mind, to see Paula slowing and stopping to stretch out her leg, we feared the worst as we watched from the IBC. But she continued to run “on one leg” as she told Phil Jones. This to me deserves absolute respect. To finish had to be the aim.
We’ve seen Paula, Mara Yamauchi and Liz Yelling (amongst others) slog it out over 26.2 miles so frequently that I think we forget how far it is, how arduous it is and how much mental and physical strength it takes not just to complete the course but to prepare for it day in and day out. To witness Paula’s battle with injury today, served to remind me just how difficult it is and how much we take for granted because she’s dominated at the top level for so long.
So respect. Respect to Paula for risking it and for not sitting down. Respect too, to Mara for coming in 6th, equalling the best result by a Brit; and to Liz Yelling for taking a big fall, picking herself up and continuing to the finish, whereupon she was promptly ushered off to hospital to check for damage to her ribs. I admire their strength of character enormously.
It’s an amazing feat that Paula is even in Beijing, having been diagnosed with a stress fracture during her Olympic preparations. After failing to complete the marathon in Athens, it was a brave decision to make too, to start a marathon not fully fit must be daunting, to start it knowing that you have to finish it irrelevant of the pre-existing injuries must add unimaginable pressure.
With this in mind, to see Paula slowing and stopping to stretch out her leg, we feared the worst as we watched from the IBC. But she continued to run “on one leg” as she told Phil Jones. This to me deserves absolute respect. To finish had to be the aim.
We’ve seen Paula, Mara Yamauchi and Liz Yelling (amongst others) slog it out over 26.2 miles so frequently that I think we forget how far it is, how arduous it is and how much mental and physical strength it takes not just to complete the course but to prepare for it day in and day out. To witness Paula’s battle with injury today, served to remind me just how difficult it is and how much we take for granted because she’s dominated at the top level for so long.
So respect. Respect to Paula for risking it and for not sitting down. Respect too, to Mara for coming in 6th, equalling the best result by a Brit; and to Liz Yelling for taking a big fall, picking herself up and continuing to the finish, whereupon she was promptly ushered off to hospital to check for damage to her ribs. I admire their strength of character enormously.