Athletics: Paula's double trouble.Byline: By JOHN CROSS PAULA Radcliffe has insisted she has learned a painful lesson from her Olympic nightmare - but cannot stop dreaming of a golden double in Helsinki. Radcliffe, 31, suffered the devastating disappointment of failing to finish either the marathon or 10,000m last summer so her decision to double up again is a big gamble. But Radcliffe insists she has "moved on" from the agony of Athens and her sights are set firmly on winning the marathon - but admits that she will find it hard to resist trying to win the 10,000m as well. It is a huge task as only one athlete, Czech Emile Zatopek, has ever completed the marathon and 10,000m double at the same championships and ironically it came in Helsinki at the 1952 Olympics. Radcliffe begins her campaign in the 10,000m tonight and then will be red-hot favourite to win gold in the marathon in eight days' time even though all of her Olympic nightmares are likely to return to haunt her. "I am a lot calmer and my outlook is very different," said Radcliffe. "This is me racing because I want to race and I'm enjoying it. "Last year I was just kicking out trying to find out what was happening. Now it's because I want to race and I'm ready to race. I'm just excited to be here in good shape, healthy and ready to go out and run." Radcliffe has never won a global gold on the track and famously led from the front in Seville in 1999 before Ethiopian Gete Wami Gete Wami (born December 11, 1974 in Debre Berhan) is a female Ethiopian cross country and track runner. Wami won the 2006 Berlin Marathon finishing in front of Alina Kosgei and Monika Drybulska on September 24. snatched gold. She missed out on a medal two years later in Edmonton and injury forced her to miss Paris in 2003 while last year's agony in Athens makes Helsinki an even bigger challenge. Radcliffe will start the marathon as world record holder and red-hot favourite but defending champion defending champion n (SPORT) → defensor/a m/f del tÃtulo defending champion n (Sport) → champion(ne) en titre Berhane Adere Berhane Adere (born July 21, 1973 in Shewa) is an athlete from Ethiopia. She holds the African record for 10,000 m in a time of 30:04.18. She won the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in 2002, and the bronze medal in the 2001 World Half Marathon Championships. and Ethiopia's Tirunesh Dibaba Tirunesh Dibaba (born June 1, 1985 in Arsi, Ethiopia) is an Ethiopian long distance track athlete. Born in the village of Chefe, Tirunesh was the 4th of 6 children and was raised in the high-altitude Arsi Zone of the Oromia Region. are favourites in the 10k. But former world 10,000m champion Liz McColgan Liz McColgan MBE (born March 24, 1964) is a former Scottish long distance track and road running athlete. Born Elizabeth Lynch, she was brought up in Dundee. She won the gold in the 1991 World Championships in Tokyo, Japan at 10,000 metres, and was voted BBC Sports believes a golden double is well within Radcliffe's grasp in Helsinki. McColgan said: "The World Championships - with eight days between the 10,000m and marathon - offers a great opportunity to attempt the double. "It will be difficult for her but I have every confidence in her ability." CAPTION(S): LESSON: Paula Radcliffe |
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