Please somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but Paula Radcliffe did only fail to finish the Marathon didn't she, and hasn't been  the victim of a vicious assault or has lost a beloved member of her family??

I think she, and the British Press need a lesson in 'living in the real world'. It'sjust so disrespectful to those who have suffered a real tragedy in their lives.

I think the over-reaction came before the race, personally.  Things were so hyped up over Paula many people would have been disappointed even if she won the gold medal.

In a sense I think it must be almost like a bereavement.  Paula has trained and worked towards taking part in these games for many years.  Imagine how you would feel if you had failed to achieve one of your lifetime ambitions.  (And I mean a real achievable ambition not just some desire to be managing director of British Telecom or have a number one pop song), it must have been devasting for her!

I think the over-reaction came before the race, personally.  Things were so hyped up over Paula many people would have been disappointed even if she won the gold medal.

In a sense I think it must be almost like a bereavement.  Paula has trained and worked towards taking part in these games for many years.  Imagine how you would feel if you had failed to achieve one of your lifetime ambitions.  (And I mean a real achievable ambition not just some desire to be managing director of British Telecom or have a number one pop song), it must have been devasting for her!


I can see this turning into an attack on 'Gabble Ratchet' the heartless git!! I can appreciate all the hard work and dedication she has endured, to achieve the disitnction of becoming Olympic Champion but then again, so have a lot of others and as far as I have seen they have accepted it and moved on. Isn't that what being British is all about.

I hear now that she may not run in the 10,000 metres, which I consider to be a real defeatist attitude.

None of these comments are meant personally at all Gabble, you know that.

I think there is a difference to being at the Olympics and maybe if you're lucky getting a medal and really being in with a shout.  That's the difference between Paula and some of the others.  I'm thining in terms of current and known form here.  Being the current world record holder at a distance surely makes it more likely that you will win a medal than someone who is a good way out of the best times (or whatever) in their chosen event.

I will be disappointed if Paula chooses not to run tomorrow but I can also understand why she might not.  I don't think its defeatist, just very hard to spring back so quickly from such a low point.  Depending on what her problems were she may not yet be fully recovered and it's also a mental thing.  You really need to have the right frame of mind when starting a big race such as this.  If Paula is still thinking about what went wrong on Sunday then she won't be able to focus on visualising herself winning tomorrow.

Maybe I'm biased because she lives in my town?

None of these comments are meant personally at all Gabble, you know that.

I think there is a difference to being at the Olympics and maybe if you're lucky getting a medal and really being in with a shout.  That's the difference between Paula and some of the others.  I'm thining in terms of current and known form here.  Being the current world record holder at a distance surely makes it more likely that you will win a medal than someone who is a good way out of the best times (or whatever) in their chosen event.

I will be disappointed if Paula chooses not to run tomorrow but I can also understand why she might not.  I don't think its defeatist, just very hard to spring back so quickly from such a low point.  Depending on what her problems were she may not yet be fully recovered and it's also a mental thing.  You really need to have the right frame of mind when starting a big race such as this.  If Paula is still thinking about what went wrong on Sunday then she won't be able to focus on visualising herself winning tomorrow.

Maybe I'm biased because she lives in my town?


And maybe I'm angry because I'd bet a fortune on her winning it!!!!!

And maybe I'm angry because I'd bet a fortune on her winning it!!!!!


Ah!  More fool you!

Ah!  More fool you!


I was joking!

I was joking!


I know

I know


That's alright then

I agree with Gabble. Paula Radcliffe didn't even finish the race! If she walked it, I would have had more respect for her.

I agree with Gabble. Paula Radcliffe didn't even finish the race! If she walked it, I would have had more respect for her.


That's right Bobby

We had the same crap in Aus with our hurdler, Jana Pittman.

She conked out her knee 10 days before the games and for two weeks we got nothing but hourly updates on her progress through her sorrow, and agony, her keyhole surgery, her physio, her shotgun rehab, her hugging and crying with her kids blah blah yawn !

Who gives a fig ?  :o ::)

Today, Nathan Deakes got red carded out of the 50km walk.  I absolutely GUARANTEE that is ALL that the news will be about tomorrow, even if (as I am hoping) Australia finally win the Hockey final at the billionth attempt - I still bet that will be glossed over in favour of feeling sorry for ourselves.... ::)

We had the same crap in Aus with our hurdler, Jana Pittman.

She conked out her knee 10 days before the games and for two weeks we got nothing but hourly updates on her progress through her sorrow, and agony, her keyhole surgery, her physio, her shotgun rehab, her hugging and crying with her kids blah blah yawn !

Who gives a fig ?   :o ::)

Today, Nathan Deakes got red carded out of the 50km walk.  I absolutely GUARANTEE that is ALL that the news will be about tomorrow, even if (as I am hoping) Australia finally win the Hockey final at the billionth attempt - I still bet that will be glossed over in favour of feeling sorry for ourselves.... ::)


Could not have put it better myself Fuss !!!

I accidentally made a funny joke about Paula Radcliffe. I said that they should put her in a cannon and shoot her off somewhere but she would give up halfway and walk the rest of the way back!  ;D

Mike Powell sobbed at the Atlanta or Sydney Games after he failed to win a medal in the long jump. He was (and still is) the world record holder, yet his hamstring injury made it impossible for him to go far. And Carl Lewis was still the favorite anyway (he didn't win, either).

As for Paula, you try to run 26 miles in 97 degree temps.  :-\\

We had the same crap in Aus with our hurdler, Jana Pittman.

She conked out her knee 10 days before the games and for two weeks we got nothing but hourly updates on her progress through her sorrow, and agony, her keyhole surgery, her physio, her shotgun rehab, her hugging and crying with her kids blah blah yawn !

Who gives a fig ?   :o ::)

Today, Nathan Deakes got red carded out of the 50km walk.  I absolutely GUARANTEE that is ALL that the news will be about tomorrow, even if (as I am hoping) Australia finally win the Hockey final at the billionth attempt - I still bet that will be glossed over in favour of feeling sorry for ourselves.... ::)


Yep! I agree with you too, Fussbudget! I work as a typist and I suffer from acute problems with my hands. I wonder if I can get hourly updates on how this could affect my work . . .  ::)

We had the same crap in Aus with our hurdler, Jana Pittman.

She conked out her knee 10 days before the games and for two weeks we got nothing but hourly updates on her progress through her sorrow, and agony, her keyhole surgery, her physio, her shotgun rehab, her hugging and crying with her kids blah blah yawn !

Who gives a fig ? :o ::)

Today, Nathan Deakes got red carded out of the 50km walk. I absolutely GUARANTEE that is ALL that the news will be about tomorrow, even if (as I am hoping) Australia finally win the Hockey final at the billionth attempt - I still bet that will be glossed over in favour of feeling sorry for ourselves.... ::)


All of the above carry-on, is one of the main reasons why I'm turned off sport.  Well that, and the way some athletes.....or sportspeople are presented as 'demigods'  ::)

As for Paula, you try to run 26 miles in 97 degree temps.  :-\\


That's her career choice, Indy. All part of the job description.  ;D

They should have cancelled the race, Bobby. People without Paula's pedigree could have died in that heat. One person fell dead at the 500 Mini-Marathon, and that was only an 80 degree temp. No job is worth dying for. :-\\


That's her career choice, Indy. All part of the job description.  ;D

They should have cancelled the race, Bobby. People without Paula's pedigree could have died in that heat. One person fell dead at the 500 Mini-Marathon, and that was only an 80 degree temp. No job is worth dying for. :-\\


Someone died doing that? Gosh! That's tragic. Paula didn't climatize herself to the conditions of the race, Indy. I appreciate what you are saying but a lot of jobs have a certain amount of risk to them (steeplejacks, electricians and even window-cleaners to name a few . . .) and what she went through was simply an 'occupational hazard'.

Add to that the guy was only 27.  :o
Well, at least Paula failed at doing something she liked. ::)



Someone died doing that? Gosh! That's tragic. Paula didn't climatize herself to the conditions of the race, Indy. I appreciate what you are saying but a lot of jobs have a certain amount of risk to them (steeplejacks, electricians and even window-cleaners to name a few . . .) and what she went through was simply an 'occupational hazard'.

Add to that the guy was only 27.  :o
Well, at least Paula failed at doing something she liked. ::)


That's true.  :)

Well, at least Paula failed at doing something she liked. ::)




Hey hey !

I have been doing that all my life !  :)