BEIJING: The British world marathon record-holder Paula Radcliffe has said she will definitely be in the starting line-up for the Beijing Marathon this Sunday.
In it to win it: Paula Radcliffe has defied medical predictions to make the starting line at the Beijing Marathon
The 34-year-old athlete, who has faced a race against time to compete in the Olympics, said she would rather be starting in her current shape than the condition she was in at the Athens Olympics.
Radcliffe, who won the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki, told the BBC:
"Of course, I could do with a bit more time, but (I'll) just go in and give it a go. That's a hundred times better than watching on TV," the British runner told the BBC.
"If it was a big city marathon or even a World Championships I'd say do not push it, make sure I was well prepared. But I don't want to sit there watching it wondering what could have happened."
She was forced to drop out of the 2004 marathon in Athens with dehydration, and the 10,000m a few days later, and is still yet to claim an Olympic medal .
"It certainly means I have a lot of unfinished business with the Olympics. But I also think the Olympics are something more special anyway," said Radcliffe who was diagnosed with the injury in May, but has been determined to make the trip to China.
"There were times in the last 12 weeks when I thought 'How can this be happening, has someone put a jinx on me?'," she explained.
"But then I'd go to bed and think 'No this is the Olympics, I'm not going to give up'.
"Regardless of what happened four years ago this still would have been something I fought for. I have not taken stupid risks with my leg - but at every point I have tested it and pushed it a bit further because you're taking a gamble."—Agency