News05 Oct 2009


No World Half Marathon for Radcliffe who is sidelined by tonsillitis

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In total command - Paula Radcliffe en route to her third New York Marathon victory in 2008 (© Getty Images)

Britain’s Paula Radcliffe has withdrawn from this weekend’s IAAF / EDF Energy World Half Marathon Championships in Birmingham, UK on Sunday 11 October, due to tonsillitis.

A former champion on three occasions, Radcliffe was hoping to make up for her disappointment at the IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Berlin in August - when she was forced to withdraw from the marathon in the week leading up to the event - by leading the team in a home championship.

Radcliffe said: “I’m devastated not to be able to compete in Birmingham this weekend. The World Half Marathon is a great opportunity for our athletes to compete in front of a home crowd and I’m disappointed I can’t be part of that.

“It’s very important to me to be able to pull on a GB vest and do my best in a major championship, but unfortunately, having developed tonsillitis over the weekend, I’m now on a course of antibiotics.”

Ian Stewart, Aviva GB & NI Team Leader, said: “We’re obviously hugely disappointed that Paula is unable to compete. She’s a former World Half Marathon champion on three occasions and brought a great deal of experience to the team. Had she been fit, there’s no doubt she would have been in contention for a medal, but we have a good team of athletes who still have an opportunity to fight for decent team positions, and I hope we can do that.”

She will be replaced in the team by first reserve Michelle Ross-Cope (City of Stoke).

UK Athletics