Was it a waste of time sending Paula Radcliffe to Bejing?

Question

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1046252/Amid-medal-ecstasy-theres-agony-Paula-Radcliffe.html

Maybe someone else missed out on a place. Its not a charity after all.

Answer 1

About as much of a waste of time as sending the Jamaican bobslay team!  She had an injury but went and did her best.  

Answer 2

Why are you Brits so hard on Paula, Leave the Woman Alone, You guys are ungrateful to have such an exceptional athlete !!!!  Look at our freaken american athletes, ha ha pathetic,  Deena Kastor dropped out because her foot all of a sudden hurt, and our number 2 runner Boulet dropped out as well saying that she banged her knee on the shuttle bus. WTF.  At least Paula showed up, even though she was injuried and tried to do her best for you ungrateful Brits, if you don't want her, we will take her!!!

Answer 3

Looks that way don't it.

She should never have been selected especially with her lack of training, I'm sure somebody younger who has trained their heart out has missed out on their chance due to her being picked because of her name.

Answer 4

Fortune has not been kind to her this year,it happens.

Answer 5

Shame there's not an event for blubbering.

Answer 6

I must admit that when i heard she was running i did think oh no she'll let us down again.

Answer 7

Yes she seems to have lost her stamina!

Answer 8

I think someone else should have been given the chance it was a wasted space in my opinion.

Answer 9

no it wasn't.  

Answer 10

If she qualified she qualified and has the right to take up a place but that said when she was clearly ill prepared and not ready she should have stepped down.

Answer 11

Stormy I think you are being a bit hard on Paula. Its easy for us here to sit in judgement but the event that she has excelled in is a very gruelling race which few of us would even think of attempring. She is getting a little old for this sort of thing and when the London olympics come round she will be even 4 years older.  But lets give her some credit, at least she tried.  

Answer 12

Yes it was she wasnt fit enough to compete and she probably took the place of someone else who could have used the experience in a more comstructive way

Answer 13

yes it was, what was she thinking anyway, she should have quit at the top instead of showing herself up now, leave it to the youngsters

Answer 14

she should be banned from running, always mucks up and has a cry.

Answer 15

i think the olympics is a waste of time fullstop, those pictures have put me off my cream cake, god if i ever get a body like that shoot me, (not likely though i have to add)  lol xx

Answer 16

She should save herself from further embarassment and quit now.

Answer 17

She was not fit enough and it was certainly a waste of money.

Answer 18

Yeah, she only even trained for about 3 and a half weeks and all see gives us it 23rd. But at least we got the highest we ever have with the other runner. I think she was 6th.

Answer 19

No Stormy it was not a waste of time, in fact she was not last in the team even.

The truth is that she had the choice of whether she went or not, in an event such as this finishing is just as important as winning.

As for Paula herself, the fact that she finished where she did was a great achievement, just look at all those who finished after her.

It is easy for armchair athletes to criticise others, (as you can see from some of the above answers) however to take part in the most gruelling event in the whole of the Olympics and still finish in a respectable position take a considerable amount of GUTS!

Answer 20

Totally, she was injured and did 3 weeks training. It's all about publicity it's pathetic.

Answer 21

Sounds like she was picked to go because of who she is rather than her ability and performance.

Answer 22

C'mon Storm, whatever she is, shes better than any of us here. Everyone has bad days.  

Answer 23

She knew she was at risk with the injury she was carrying so i would say yes it was a little selfish.....

Answer 24

You have point there, but how or why was she selected in the first place?  She couldn't have had the training needed for the olympics in such a short time after her injury.

Answer 25

Yes. I thought she had been pensioned off in Athens.

Why on earth she thought she would improve with age is anyone's guess.

A right show up she is.  

Answer 26

Good Question.  I  have never seen a woman who cried so much in all my life.  If she was not fully fit mentally and physically she should not have been competing for her Country..

Answer 27

Yes, all she seems to be good at nowadays is blubbering  

Answer 28

well she was injured...so i say yes it was a waste of time! but oh well, we cant turn back time now can we! she must of qualified better than anyone else though so she does deserve to go...but she shouldnt of entered if she was injured!

Answer 29

Yes! She is such a failure....

Answer 30

to me the olympics are a waste of time  -  watch for the thumbs down - but this is my honest opinion.  

Answer 31

It sadly seems so