Radcliffe's shot at redemption backfires

WHEN history repeats itself, no-one minds if the experience was enjoyable in the first instance, but watching Paula Radcliffe on Friday night was as harrowing as being made to sit through your least favourite movie, this time without the popcorn and only too aware how much you are going to despise the tear-jerking ending.

Yes, stepping out on to the track was brave and gutsy and oh so very British, but few with an athletics background will ever label it wise. The 10,000m had already been deemed her weaker event, which is why she had opted for the marathon in the first place, but, despite being sapped of all her energy and resolve five days previously, when she stepped out the marathon a broken woman after 21 miles, she still felt the need to put herself and her adoring public through the trauma of another 25 laps of the Olympic Stadium.

At 30 years old and having achieved so much away from this ultimate stage, she desperately wanted an Olympic gold to fulfil her career. But there are few mugs in an Olympic final, which is why, even if fully fit, she may have struggled to win.

But could she come back, against all odds and achieve the unthinkable? Could she hell, and while the decision to race was not a surprise to those who know the athlete, neither was the outcome.

"It’s Paula’s mentality to keep trying," said Scot Kathy Butler, Britain’s other entrant in the 10,000m race. "Some people will criticise her but Paula believed she had to give it a go." And Butler, who finished 12th, dismissed the idea that Radcliffe ran the race to appease disappointed fans, thousands of whom had scrambled for stadium tickets all day to ensure she would have as much vocal support as possible. "I think any pressure Paula felt to run in the event was put on her by herself."

She still managed to stay with the leaders through the early sector of the race, but the hungry pack behind her reeled her back and with nine laps remaining she called it quits.

Contrary to some reports, the tears did flow again but this time the dam didn’t break until she was well away from the glare of cameras.

She looked dazed. How could she explain what had just happened? She couldn’t, but in true Paula style, she tried.

"My legs were just too beat up after the marathon. I wanted to go on but mentally, emotionally and physically, I thought I was there." By "there" she meant the dead end she had always been hurtling towards from the minute she had crossed the start line. "Physically my body hadn’t recovered."

Those who had coldly sat and analysed the situation knew that would always be the case but rarely have so many wanted to be proved so wrong.

Just watching her on the start line was heart-breaking enough. You see, we instinctively knew what was coming. We’d seen this one before. We just desperately wanted to be wrong or at the very least for someone to hit fast forward and see the final credits roll.