Paula is a loser!

miniminch · 29-08-2004, 10:51

Is Paula Radcliffe a total loser who bottled it and cried like a baby when she knew she was squarely beaten? Don't you think that it is incrediblely arrogant to think that she was going to win a world event in the first place. Especially one that takes so long and has so many variables, weather and fittness and everything else.
Kelly holmes had the right attitude.She didnt promise anything.

what do you think?

Sam Miguel · 29-08-2004, 11:02

I must admit, I am arriving at the same conclusion. Fair enough, when it happened the first time I suppose she probably deserved the benefit of the doubt, but after the second time, well....

It seems to me that she is thriving on pity. Shame on her.

t020 · 29-08-2004, 11:16

I agree. She realised she couldn't win a medal, so she cried and took her ball home. If everyone else did this there'd only be 3 finishers in each race. It's not the type of attitude you expect from a professional athlete. All of the media sympathy is lost on me. To me she appears arrogant, as though she has a god given right to win a medal.

Sam Miguel · 29-08-2004, 11:28

And what a sad, sad way to end a career.

Lickszz · 29-08-2004, 11:38

I was annoyed that she didn't attempt to finish but I think her reasons must have been because she was saving herself for the 10000 meters although there was only 3 miles to go it wouldn't have mattered to me if she had walked the remaining distance. She must have been mentally shattered to do what she did. I can't recall anyone every quiting in a similar fashion to this before.

Sam Miguel · 29-08-2004, 11:57

Incidentally, shouldn't the marathon come after the 10,000 metres?

It seems more sensible to have the more gruelling race last.

PaulTansley · 29-08-2004, 12:24

Quote:

Originally posted by Lickszz
I was annoyed that she didn't attempt to finish but I think her reasons must have been because she was saving herself for the 10000 meters although there was only 3 miles to go it wouldn't have mattered to me if she had walked the remaining distance. She must have been mentally shattered to do what she did. I can't recall anyone every quiting in a similar fashion to this before.

To do what she did and work herself up to a state to concertrate on the 10,000 metres is hardly preparing herself for it.
Her mental state is bound to be an issue and relevant to another failure.
t020 rightly said that if everyone packed because they had no chance of a medal then only three runners would finish the race which is hardly proffessional.
Paula may be the best this country has, but theres a world of runners on that race and yes some of them Paula has beaten in less minor races but if your not mentally tuned into the race your gonna loose.
Running is both mental and physical.

Lickszz · 29-08-2004, 12:42

Yes and this illustrates my point. When you are defeated mentally you are more or less automatically finished physically.

Cyclone · 29-08-2004, 12:59

none of you have the right to criticise in my opinion. I doubt any of you could even dream of walking that distance, never mind running it.

Lickszz · 29-08-2004, 13:26

I do know how hard it is because I have ran 5 full marathons and 2 Ultra runs. To run at that pace in that heat is incredible

john t · 29-08-2004, 14:31

Paula:-

the point is she should have finished her race,if i do a triathlon and have a bad day,i dont throw the towel in,i carry on regardless and if she felt so bad,why did she then do the 10,000 mtrs.Was too much expected of her,i think not, she doesn't run away from the publicity when shes winning.
Had she carried on to the finish that would have earned her much more respect.
And yes i have run marathon before,and a few1/2marathons i wasnt gonna win,but i still finished them,may be i just dont like quitters!!!

End of rant.
john t

Lickszz · 29-08-2004, 15:33

Nobody likes a quitter but I'd like to attempt to understand what made her quit. I mean, I have seen her on countless occasions not come in the top 3 but never ever quit like that before. Although, she has not been used to been accustomed to been beaten in Marathons so may be that is the key.

PaulTansley · 29-08-2004, 16:30

Quote:

Originally posted by Lickszz
Nobody likes a quitter but I'd like to attempt to understand what made her quit. I mean, I have seen her on countless occasions not come in the top 3 but never ever quit like that before. Although, she has not been used to been accustomed to been beaten in Marathons so may be that is the key.

I disagree with some points here.
Firstly If she carried on she was putting her life at risk by over heating and severe dehydration. She could have died.
That kind of punishment killed Tommy Simpson the 60s cyclist from Harworth and I know he was on anphetimines which probably helped him on his downfall nether the less he died from heat exhaustion.
Now only Paula Ratcliffe knows the real reason for finishing early, maybe that she so no chance of a medal and packed, then thats inexcuseable although if that was her reason I really think she would have packed earlier, however the heat, humidity, geography of the route and maybe over trained could have been her downfall and then no ones super human.
She did the right thing and packed due to the circumstances and its not worth dying for, even an olympic medal.
Regarding Cyclones comments that none of us have a right to comment well I train hard in cycling which is the hardest sport of all whatever level and raced and cycled 150 miles in one day on many occations and know what its like to suffer in heat, the constant hills and bad weather so i think i do have a right to an opinion.

miniminch · 29-08-2004, 16:55

Quote:

Originally posted by Cyclone
none of you have the right to criticise in my opinion. I doubt any of you could even dream of walking that distance, never mind running it.

ITS HER JOB!!!. ITS WHAT SHE DOES EVERYDAY. I don't get to 3.15 at my office everyday break down in tears and tell everyone that I cant carry on. Well actually i do!! Which kind of knackers my point!
Sod it I'm off for a run.

Cyclone · 29-08-2004, 17:32

is your job some kind of competition. If not then you have no point.

Cycleracer, fair enough, comment away.

I don't like people who presume to know her mind, decided that she DID quit because she couldn't get a medal and then condemn her for that. Unless you're psycic you don't know why she stopped.

john t · 29-08-2004, 18:18

Why did she quite,her heart aint big enough to accept defeat easiest way was to stop!
If she was so dehydrated why then do the 10,000mtrs/as a cyclist cycleracer you should no that you dont over come dehydration in a couple of days,if you think so,ask Lance Armstrong how long it took him to recover from last years tour time trial when he almost lost the tour because of it!!!

john t

Lickszz · 29-08-2004, 18:34

Quote:

Originally posted by Cycleracer
I disagree with some points here.
Firstly If she carried on she was putting her life at risk by over heating and severe dehydration. She could have died.
That kind of punishment killed Tommy Simpson the 60s cyclist from Harworth and I know he was on anphetimines which probably helped him on his downfall nether the less he died from heat exhaustion.
Now only Paula Ratcliffe knows the real reason for finishing early, maybe that she so no chance of a medal and packed, then thats inexcuseable although if that was her reason I really think she would have packed earlier, however the heat, humidity, geography of the route and maybe over trained could have been her downfall and then no ones super human.
She did the right thing and packed due to the circumstances and its not worth dying for, even an olympic medal.
Regarding Cyclones comments that none of us have a right to comment well I train hard in cycling which is the hardest sport of all whatever level and raced and cycled 150 miles in one day on many occations and know what its like to suffer in heat, the constant hills and bad weather so i think i do have a right to an opinion.

Do you think that she could have died from exhaustion in the 10000 meters?

PaulTansley · 29-08-2004, 18:51

Quote:

Originally posted by Lickszz
Do you think that she could have died from exhaustion in the 10000 meters?

Unlikely but 10,000 metres ain't 26 miles.
You can't knock Ratcliffe for failing to finish and as I said nobody knows the real reason why she did only her.
Not only did she have to over come dehydration for the 10.000 m she had to repair the muscle damage to her legs caused by the 23 miles she did.
She failed the 10.000 metres so maybe she had not recovered from dehydration which answers your point john t and maybe she is physically fit but not mentally fit which could result in failure.

Cyclone · 29-08-2004, 20:35

Quote:

Originally posted by john t
Why did she quite,her heart aint big enough to accept defeat easiest way was to stop!
If she was so dehydrated why then do the 10,000mtrs/as a cyclist cycleracer you should no that you dont over come dehydration in a couple of days,if you think so,ask Lance Armstrong how long it took him to recover from last years tour time trial when he almost lost the tour because of it!!!

john t

Have you patented your mind reading device? I presume you have one because otherwise you wouldn't be so foolish as to state an opinion as a fact, right?

She's lost races before, and still gone on to finish them, it's not as if this is a regular occurence? So how do you work out that she quit because she was only going to come 4th?

I could be wrong, but I was under the impression that rehydrating was a relatively quick process... Although maybe she hadn't fully recovered and was thus unable to complete the 10k.

ANGELUS · 04-09-2004, 01:00

Paula is a world class athlete and she should have been properly prepared for someone of her ability to withstand the pressure and the heat in Athens.. they have 4 years to train for it.. so there is no excuse for quitting.

Tell you what I would have liked to see..
Jane Tomlinson @ the olympics.

I would back her 100% and I doubt she would have quit quite like Paula did.. even though she has terminal cancer.

And least Jane's got balls!!