Sudden Radcliffe withdrawal opens field

 

Paula Radcliffe running during the 2005 International Chiba Ekiden in Japan.

"Paula hit a rock when out training and developed a bruised foot and it is taking a long time to settle down," her husband and manager Gary Lough said.

"In particular it has been causing problems on the track, constantly flaring up and she cannot do proper flat-out training sessions."

Radcliffe is the winner of the 5,000 metres gold at the Manchester Games and was a strong favourite to win the 10,000m this time around. She missed both the 1994 and 1998 Games and her dreams of an Olympic marathon gold medal in Greece in 2004 were shattered when she was forced to abandon the race.

She has been training for the Games as well as the London Marathon at the high-altitude venue of Albuquerque in New Mexico. Although the injury forces her to withdraw for Melbourne, the marathon world record-holder will be well prepared to defend her London title in April.

Ann Hogbin, England's Chef de Mission at the Commonwealth Games, told the BBC: "Naturally we're very disappointed for Paula, particularly as it means she won't have the opportunity to defend the 5,000m title she won in Manchester four years ago".

All eyes for the longer distance events will be now be on Australian Benita Johnson, who finished third in the 2003 World Half-Marathon Championships and is only the third woman in two decades to break the African stranglehold on the world cross-country titles, winning gold in the long-course race in Brussels.

Her way, of course, is barred by the the Kenyans who had eight of the 10 fastest women in the world in the 10,000m last year, although only three of them can contest the race in Melbourne.

The women's 10,000m final will be held at the iconic MCG in the evening session of Tuesday 21 March, while the 5,000m will be contested Friday evening 24 March.

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