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4409723

Suspended
Jun 22, 2001
2,221
0
After watching quite a lot of olympics and hearing about the importance of mental preparation I don't see her being mentally prepared for such an undertaking.
 

iGav

macrumors G3
Original poster
Mar 9, 2002
9,025
1
Gotta admire her for trying... as she said she had to try, she didn't want to have watched it on TV only to think 'what if?'.

She'll be back though... she's the greatest female Marathon runner on the face of the planet, some of the stick she's getting from parts of the media though... :rolleyes: :mad:
 

Blue Velvet

Moderator emeritus
Jul 4, 2004
21,929
265
Not finishing...

Again.

I think she's lost a lot of respect in the general UK publics' eyes judging by many of the calls on talkback.

There have been plenty of athletes over the ages who have walked, crawled, etc. done anything to reach that finishing line...
 

iGav

macrumors G3
Original poster
Mar 9, 2002
9,025
1
Blue Velvet said:
I think she's lost a lot of respect in the general UK publics' eyes judging by many of the calls on talkback.

I don't think she has... apart from the fickle lot that is, with the build em' and knock em' down mentality... who are the first to criticise yet the last to get off their fat lazy arses and do something themselves :rolleyes:

I thought she showed more balls than anyone else at the Olympics by deciding to race last night, she didn't have to...

It easy to forget exactly what she has achieved in her career, and the fact that she's still the fastest female Marathon runner ever, never mind her Cross Country titles, European Gold, Commonwealth Gold and a multitude of British and European records... and if people don't respect her for that :rolleyes:

But then again... this is the country, where alot of people 'idolise' wife beating stars such as Gazza, so what else should we expect :rolleyes:
 

wdlove

macrumors P6
Oct 20, 2002
16,568
0
I agree with iGAV, admire her for trying. She can be very proud that she has made it to this point. A record to be proud. Preparation mentally and physically is very important.
 

4409723

Suspended
Jun 22, 2001
2,221
0
Although it may not have been her fault, the build-up which the media potrayed, her 'assured' medal and so forth was building her up for a such a large fall.

I don't blame it all on the media, nor on her.

Look at Kelly Holmes, a runner of pedigree but did not outwardly show how much she thought she was going to win, and she comes and wins two golds.
 

iGav

macrumors G3
Original poster
Mar 9, 2002
9,025
1
Wes said:
Although it may not have been her fault, the build-up which the media potrayed, her 'assured' medal and so forth was building her up for a such a large fall.

The media has been way out of control here for a long, long time... we only need to remember it's fickle approach to Beckham after 1998, and then how it glorified him in 2002, only to tear him to shreds again, same with Sven, Damon Hill etc etc... the list is long. :rolleyes:

It's how the press works over here... and it sucks seven kinds of sh*t.

Team GB have done very well considering what was being forecast by the media before the games, and I think every single one of them has done us proud, regardless of whether they won Gold, finished last or pulled out... we don't have the investment in our current sporting endeavours, so the fact that we can compete at all is even more remarkable.

But until the media learns to stop putting the weight of the world in expectation on their shoulders, this will just keep happening again, and again and again. :(
 

evoluzione

macrumors 68020
i went to school with paula, she was a couple of years ahead of me, but her bro', martin, was in my class. it's been interesting following her career from the early days, when she messed up her knee (i think) and she came back and won more stuff. our school was out in the country (even had a school farm) so the cross country races were proper ones.

and iGAV's right, the media sucks ass. it breeds stupidity and violence as far as i'm concerned, glorifying "lad culture"...something i do not miss about "engurland" :rolleyes:
 

WinterMute

Moderator emeritus
Jan 19, 2003
4,776
5
London, England
The woman has still run the marathon faster than ANYONE in history, the 10000 was a case of "getting back on the horse" I think, and her withdrawal was no big deal.

Gav's right, the knockers couldn't stay with her over 100m let alone a marathon.

I hope she continues to run and beat the oppostition for as long as it pleases her.

Kelly Holmes, what a runner.:eek:

4x100m relay, what a finish, I thought Maurice Green had it for sure, well done team GB. :D
 

QCassidy352

macrumors G5
Mar 20, 2003
12,028
6,036
Bay Area
not sure how many of you follow a lot of track and field... but Paula Radcliffe is by far and away the greatest female distance runner on the planet, and I think no less of her for dropping out. That anyone could question the dedication and mental toughness of a woman who has run the marathon in 2:15 (the WR was over 2:20 a few years ago) shocks me.
 
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