It's a great shame - and it won't be for lack of trying on her part, since she's such a hard worker. At least someone else from Team GB will get a chance to show to the world what they can do.
Paula is and always will be a total legend: Paula for Damehood right now!
I'd rather she didn't run than ran poorly - she deserves better than to be lambasted by the media (most of them lacking the knowledge to discuss things with any sense). I hope she is able to muster one last hurrah in a city marathon, but I suspect we may have seen the last of her marathons at Berlin last year.
It must be so hard to come so close and have to pull out so late in the day, I hope she continues when she's recovered and fit enough to compete and it would be nice if she manages a City marathon win or placing.
An Olympic gold medal isn't necessarily a good measure of anybody's talent. Ron Clarke broke loads of world records in the 1960's but never won although Zatopek gave Clarke one of his golds. Eddy Merckx, the greatest cyclist of all time only rode the Olympics once without getting a medal and then turned professional which at that time barred him from any future Olympic appearances.
Invisible, i don't think anyone wins an Olympic gold who isn't terrific at their sport though.
The fact some of the greatest ever never won one shows what a monumental challenge it is to not only become the best, but to peak for one short week every 4 years.
If she has done most of the hard training and the foot injury just has not cleared for the Olympics; I hope she has a go at Berlin, Chicago or New York this year before retiring. She really is the best we have ever had.
I think that her decision to have her babies signalled a mature woman realising her children would be around longer than her running career.The point at which running was no longer the most important thing for her.
Can she, at this late stage, be replaced? It would seem a waste to have somene with a qualifying time that wasn;t able to run because this decision was left too late.
She is brilliant. Just hope she doesn't spend years living with this regret of not getting an Olympic medal.
Marten - not sure having kids has affected her priority to running though. She has still trained as hard and has focused completely on this Olympics, - hasn't she been away from her family whilst training in Kenya?
Freya Murrays name is being put forward as her replacement.Feel soory for Paula as she put everything into it and must be heartbreaking for her too finally admit defeat and give up on the olympic dream.I wish her all the best for the future
I feel so bad for her, she is such an amazing athlete and would have been our best possible ambassador too, such a great sportswoman. Really quite gutted about it, I hope the media treat her fairly this time and reflect her success and hard work.
She's still the world record holder or world best or whatever it is. Fastest. That record will stand for quite a while yet. I loved it when she got the trophy for first Brit home at London one year.
Invisible man makes a good point, but athletics is ultimately about beating all your rivals when the pressure is at its greatest and that's why an Olympic gold medal will always top everything else for me.
Kelly Holmes is a great example - nowhere near the top of the 800 or 1500 all-time list, but 2 gold medals in Athens showed an incredible competitive spirit and racing nous.
Gutted - I was travelling to London this weekend (400 mile round trip) mostly to see Paula run. Wasn't expecting a medal or anything but was looking forward to seeing one of my inspirations running.
Still got the triathlon to look forward to on Saturday though and will cheer on the other British women and hopefully witness an exciting marathon on Sunday anyway.
Gratest woman distance runner of her generation and to me the greatest distance runner of all time so far be it a lady or a man. Gutted for her but hope she comes back for a few more races after this.
Quit while you ahead rather than fall from grace on a World stage has to be the best decision she has made. I'm sure her World record of 9 years will still last a few more years.
Comments
i just watched on the news when i am older ( i am only 11 ) i want to run a marathon and paula radcliffe inspired me
It's really sad news - shes always had issues with the olympics. I just wonder who they'll bring in to replace her?
Ahh bummer Just not to be I guess.
Apparently they're going to nominate Freya Murray.
BBC news linky
A real shame that her status as the best in the world was never reflected at the Olympics.
If she's not fit though, it's certainly not a distance to try and wing it through.
Ever tried to beat 5:10 for one mile? well Paula averaged that pace for her world record marathon!
🙂
It's a great shame - and it won't be for lack of trying on her part, since she's such a hard worker. At least someone else from Team GB will get a chance to show to the world what they can do.
Paula is and always will be a total legend: Paula for Damehood right now!
What the Dr said.
Even if she doesn't compete again, her career speaks for itself.
A fabulous athlete and imho a credit to the sport and the country.
I'd rather she didn't run than ran poorly - she deserves better than to be lambasted by the media (most of them lacking the knowledge to discuss things with any sense). I hope she is able to muster one last hurrah in a city marathon, but I suspect we may have seen the last of her marathons at Berlin last year.
It must be so hard to come so close and have to pull out so late in the day, I hope she continues when she's recovered and fit enough to compete and it would be nice if she manages a City marathon win or placing.
One of our best ever - Roger Bannister never got an Olympic Gold either.
An Olympic gold medal isn't necessarily a good measure of anybody's talent. Ron Clarke broke loads of world records in the 1960's but never won although Zatopek gave Clarke one of his golds. Eddy Merckx, the greatest cyclist of all time only rode the Olympics once without getting a medal and then turned professional which at that time barred him from any future Olympic appearances.
Invisible, i don't think anyone wins an Olympic gold who isn't terrific at their sport though.
The fact some of the greatest ever never won one shows what a monumental challenge it is to not only become the best, but to peak for one short week every 4 years.
If she has done most of the hard training and the foot injury just has not cleared for the Olympics; I hope she has a go at Berlin, Chicago or New York this year before retiring. She really is the best we have ever had.
I think that her decision to have her babies signalled a mature woman realising her children would be around longer than her running career.The point at which running was no longer the most important thing for her.
Can she, at this late stage, be replaced? It would seem a waste to have somene with a qualifying time that wasn;t able to run because this decision was left too late.
Marten - not sure having kids has affected her priority to running though. She has still trained as hard and has focused completely on this Olympics, - hasn't she been away from her family whilst training in Kenya?
I hope we see her running again.
Freya Murrays name is being put forward as her replacement.Feel soory for Paula as she put everything into it and must be heartbreaking for her too finally admit defeat and give up on the olympic dream.I wish her all the best for the future
I feel so bad for her, she is such an amazing athlete and would have been our best possible ambassador too, such a great sportswoman. Really quite gutted about it, I hope the media treat her fairly this time and reflect her success and hard work.
A fantastic and impressive athlete who has just got more and more irritating with every year that has passed.
Out of curiosity, how many races has Paula done since Athens 2004?
🙂
http://www.thepowerof10.info/athletes/profile.aspx?athleteid=1341
Invisible man makes a good point, but athletics is ultimately about beating all your rivals when the pressure is at its greatest and that's why an Olympic gold medal will always top everything else for me.
Kelly Holmes is a great example - nowhere near the top of the 800 or 1500 all-time list, but 2 gold medals in Athens showed an incredible competitive spirit and racing nous.
Gutted - I was travelling to London this weekend (400 mile round trip) mostly to see Paula run. Wasn't expecting a medal or anything but was looking forward to seeing one of my inspirations running.
Still got the triathlon to look forward to on Saturday though and will cheer on the other British women and hopefully witness an exciting marathon on Sunday anyway.
Gratest woman distance runner of her generation and to me the greatest distance runner of all time so far be it a lady or a man. Gutted for her but hope she comes back for a few more races after this.
Quit while you ahead rather than fall from grace on a World stage has to be the best decision she has made. I'm sure her World record of 9 years will still last a few more years.
She hasn't pulled out. She was withdrawn.
you were that kid at school who pointed out mistakes on the board weren't you?
Yes I was actually, and you were that thick kid at school who was too stupid to spot the mistakes on the board.
feel so sorry for Paula