BRITISH athletics performance director Dave Collins has insisted that Paula Radcliffe will only be considered for the Olympic marathon if fully fit but is optimistic the 34-year-old will be able to line up in Beijing on 17 August.
Radcliffe faces a race against time to make her fourth successive Games after being diagnosed with a stress fracture in her left thigh in May.
She has since defied medical predictions that it would be impossible for her to compete by starti
ng to run again a number of weeks ago after returning to her base in the Pyrenees to undergo rehabilitation.
Collins stressed Radcliffe's participation hinged on more than just proving she can complete the gruelling 26-mile, 385-yard course but added he was encouraged by her decision to link-up with the Team GB training camp in Macau today.
"It's confirmation for me that she's making good progress," he said. "You'll see in our selection criteria that we're way past the stage of medically checking someone and saying they're not going to damage themselves so let them compete.
"We're actually now looking at competitive form and fitness, which is a standard that is applied across Team GB, to be able to see that someone who turns up is genuinely capable. All of these athletes want to do themselves justice.
"The challenge she's taken on is a considerable one and it's important for us to make sure that challenge is progressing not at the expense of her long-term health and also to see how that challenge is progressing in terms of her getting towards good shape to be able to perform.
"I am more optimistic as time goes on. My crystal ball is, unfortunately, not working very well so I'll wait and see where we are but as things positively progress, that's good news."
Radcliffe's glittering career as a distance runner encompasses Commonwealth, European and World titles as well as three London marathons and a stunning victory in New York last November having only just returned from a 21-month absence due to injury and the birth of her first child.
However, Olympic glory has continued to elude the marathon world record holder and the disappointment was no more acute than four years ago in Athens when she broke down due to a leg injury aggravated by a stomach complaint from doses of anti-inflammatories when favourite for marathon gold.
It would be no surprise, therefore, if Radcliffe's fierce desire to erase that memory would see her heart rule her head when the time comes to finally making a decision over her fitness.
Although describing the news of her injury as a "bombshell" back in May, Radcliffe has always made it clear that she will do everything she can to make the starting line-up in Beijing. "It's going to go down to the wire and I will need a bit of luck, but I'm not giving up," said Radcliffe when the injury was first revealed three months ago. "I won't run through pain and I won't go if I can't be competitive. It's not ideal but I'm trying to stay positive."
However, Collins underlined yesterday that the final say would come down to a joint decision, although he refused to be drawn on what would happen if the lure of the Olympics proved too strong and she defied medical advice to compete.
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," he said.
"It's a team effort. There's a lot of people involved in this, coaches, medics. You sit down and say where are we? Are you capable of doing yourself justice? If yes, you've earned the place, take it. When you've got athletes who've got a record of past achievement and past performance, they're not going to put themselves on the line if they're not in the shape to perform.
"We've given her the space and the time that I think her performance level deserves, we'll see her get here and again, we'll be watching her progress and see what happens. That's what we've been doing all the way through."
Scotland's Hayley Haining remains on standby as an official reserve if Radcliffe does not recover in time. The 36-year-old understudy decided last week not to travel to Macau but is continuing her preparations at home while Radcliffe tries to regain full fitness.
While Radcliffe's participation remains in the balance, the Beijing marathon has certainly lost one of its top competitors after German Irina Mikitenko pulled out at the weekend.
Mikitenko, who won this year's London marathon, has withdrawn because of a back injury. She was preparing for Beijing at a training camp in Switzerland but decided to pull out after a complex injury to her back and pelvis spread to her foot. The former Kazakhstan Olympic 5,000 metres runner took part in her first marathon last year in Berlin and finished second.
Another athlete sweating over his Beijing dream is Chris Tomlinson after the long jumper tore his calf at the London Grand Prix last weekend.
The 26-year-old is a genuine medal hope after picking up silver at the World Indoor Championships in Spain in March and has remained behind in England for intensive treatment rather than travelling to Macau.
Collins reiterated Tomlinson, like Radcliffe, will also be given every chance to compete in the long jump qualifiers on 16 August .
"I'd like to see him there, it's a great shame for Chris who's had a very promising winter," Collins explained. "We'll wait and see what happens. We will fly him out business class into Beijing to give him the best possible chance.
"He's not coming out for the trip, none of these guys are coming for the trip, they're coming to perform so we want to put him on the ground with the best possible chance to perform.
"There would be a practical deadline of five, six days before the event when a decision is made."
The full article contains 1002 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
