Crunch Time For Paula..

With Paula Radcliffe completing her latest gruelling task....showing great stamina and mental strenght to win the some what tedious 10 mile Great South Run compared to Paula's recent events within her life at the moment. the 34-year old mother of one who famously won last years New York marathon, just 10 months after giving birth to her daughter Isla, and comming to terms with her 2008 beijing olympic game failure in the marathon race where she came a disappointing 23rd place....through what appeared to be a guttsey performance it just didnt seem to be her day...and an emotional Radcliffe left Beijing arena visibly upset.

Yet this did not deter Radcliffe who continued to show great determination and mental strenght showing that just months after what seemed a terrible defeat on a major world wide scale.....turn into a minor set back for the Bedford & County Athletic Club star as she went on to win the Great South Run, missing out on the world record by just 21 seconds.

She now looks forward to the 'Big Apple' itself where she looks to repeat last years amazing achievement where she took a gold medal just months after giving birth. should radcliffe win in new york where her currrent record is raced seven, won six and setting a record in five....can radcliffe do it again? she will know and can answer that question for now.....i guess we'll just have to wait until next week, in the big apple...where we will be able to see if Paula is able to take a big bite out of the next challenge put before her.

By Gavin Doyle

British Sprinters...

Believe it or not, but London 2012 is just around the corner and with Team GB's lack of medals within the track and field events at the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008, this year, how are we supposed to turn that round at the London Olympic Games in 2012? Does Great Britain have our very own Usain Bolt of Jamaica...the fastest man on earth? (who set new world records in both the 100m and 200m sprints) or Michael Phelps? (who won 8 Olympic golds in the swimming events at the Beijing Olympic Games 2008) Is it possible that Team GB have another Linford Christie ready and waiting to imulate his heroic Olympic gold medal at the Barcelona Olympics Games in 1992, hidding away in the locker room ready to be released on the Olympic stage in 2012???

I for one am not sure how confident i am about the matter and would not bet my house on the likelyhood of the Olympic Games in 2012 being any different for Britians "finest" sprinters....with the greats of the past staying firmly in the past and the current 100m and 200m bois representing Team GB simply miles behind the likes of Jamacia's Asafa Powell and Usain Bolt...who showed the world how to break the 100m and 200m world records with ease in Beijing . I simply can't see Mark Lewis Francis or Christian Malcome producing anywhere near as impressive and mind blowing performances as the two Jamacian front men did.

Was Dwaine Chambers the closest that Team GB's and the rest of the British nation are going to see, to win sprinting golds? The man found guilty of taking the illegal substances...the man who along with fellow 4 x 100m team mates...Darren Campbell, Marlon Devonish and Mark Lewis-Francis was stripped of his European Championship gold medal in 1999??? Maybe im being slightly septical but i guess im along with the rest of the athletes world are simply in awe at the worlds finest sporting athletes and are just simply not sure if team gb are able to compete with what the worlds leading nations on the athletics track at this moment in time.....yet i guess only time will tell..

By Gavin Doyle