Congratulations Paula!!

She's finally got the gold medal she deserves. Hopefully all her detractors will now finally shut up and take a "running jump"!! :)

 

 

 

Radcliffe races to world victory

 

The race as it happened

Paula Radcliffe finally realised her dream of winning a global title when she took gold in the women's marathon at the World Championships in Helsinki.

The world-record holder hit the front early and broke her rivals around the halfway stage to win in two hours, 20 minutes 57 seconds.

 

Radcliffe posted a championship record time while Kenya's defending champion Catherine Ndereba took the silver.

 

Romania's Constanina Dita battled bravely to finish in third place.

 

"It feels fantastic," Radcliffe told BBC Sport.

 

Radcliffe took up the lead from the start and opened up a 10m gap over the field.

 

Japan's Yumiko Hara and Ethiopian Asha Gigi decided to go with her and the trio settled into a conservative pace.

 

Photos from day nine

 

Radcliffe led through the three mile mark at 16.47 minutes and the six-mile mark at 33.23.

 

But a chasing pack which included Kenya's Catherine Ndereba and Tegla Loroupe, Ethiopia's Derartu Tulu and Romania's Constantina Dita stayed in contact, some 10m back.

 

Radcliffe stepped up the pace by three seconds and led through the next split at the nine-mile mark in 49.54.

 

Dita moved up on to Radcliffe's shoulder as Hara fell away.

 

The Romanian slipped back to fourth as Radcliffe began to pull away at the halfway stage, which she passed in 1:10.03.

 

But she returned to shadow Radcliffe and as the Briton went though the 15-mile mark in 1:22.48, Dita was just one second back.

 

Defending champion Ndereba also continued to chase hard and at 15.55m was just three seconds adrift of Radcliffe.

 

But an injection of pace saw the Briton get clear of her rivals by the 18.5-mile mark, which she passed in 1:39.22 - 16 seconds ahead of Dita and 21 seconds up on Ndereba.

 

And she never looked back.

:lol:

moving to sports.... :P

paula was born in the exact part of cheshire i live in... Davenham, near Northwich, Cheshire. I think she move somewhere else when she was like 2. But well done!! Youve made your home town proud!!!!!

paula was born in the exact part of cheshire i live in... Davenham' date=' near Northwich, Cheshire. I think she move somewhere else when she was like 2. But well done!! Youve made your home town proud!!!!![/quote']

 

I hope for your sake your town isn't full of chavs, otherwise it might be renamed "Chavenham"!! :P

Great news.