Radcliffe will have chance to prove her fitness for Beijing
Your support helps us to tell the story
As your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.
Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn't have the resources to challenge those in power.
Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November election
Andrew Feinberg
White House Correspondent
Paula Radcliffe will have to prove her fitness to British selectors as she seeks to win a place in the marathon squad for the Olympics in Beijing.
The 34-year-old world record holder is eager to atone for the disappointment of dropping out four years ago. Despite being on crutches because of a hip injury, she was named alongside Mara Yamauchi and Liz Yelling earlier this week. But after another MRI scan on Wednesday, she discovered the hip problem had been diagnosed as a much more serious stress fracture of her left femur.
Now Radcliffe is returning to her high-altitude training base at Font Romeau in the Pyrenees as she seeks to prove the medical experts wrong.
"I'm not a medic nor am I an athlete so I don't know who's right," said Niels de Vos, UK Athletics chief executive. "Clearly it's a hell of a break for her, but she still remains very confident she will be able to compete.
"If she can prove her fitness, it will be another astonishing chapter in her story. Fingers crossed, is all I can really say on that."
De Vos stressed that athletes nursing injuries who are selected for the Olympics must undergo fitness tests.
"Clearly she's not going to run a marathon to prove herself fit, and I don't know the mechanics of how she can do that," he said. "That's for the selectors and the medics (to decide)."
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments