Phil Taylor

[bolt pp]

[kinboshi]

Radcliffe is the best in the world at road running, rather than the shorter track events.


but she failed in Olympic marathons too


btw I am a big fan of hers. My kids go to a school on Paula Radcliffe Way in her home town! Just think she was intensely frustrating to be a fan of when it really mattered

So if someone's ill or injured for two events, it detracts from her otherwise brilliant record?

[TightEnd]

Yup, fraid so. Olympics are where it is at for an Athlete surely?

[kinboshi]

Daley Thompson

Arguably.

But how many times did he actually compete in his event?  How long did he dominate for?  He's definitely up there, but I'd personally place Radcliffe ahead of him.

racist.

Daley Thompson never shat himself during an international competition.

He did snap his pole once though.

[GreekStein]

Daley Thompson

Arguably.

But how many times did he actually compete in his event?  How long did he dominate for?  He's definitely up there, but I'd personally place Radcliffe ahead of him.

racist.

Daley Thompson never shat himself during an international competition.

He did snap his pole once though.

Can you blame him, it's foooking massive!

[bolt pp]

Radcliffe is the best in the world at road running, rather than the shorter track events.


but she failed in Olympic marathons too


btw I am a big fan of hers. My kids go to a school on Paula Radcliffe Way in her home town! Just think she was intensely frustrating to be a fan of when it really mattered

So if someone's ill or injured for two events, it detracts from her otherwise brilliant record?

In the history books it will matter, people will look back and say her bottle went when it came to the Olympics, the public are in love with the Olympics, forget marathons or world champs, if you do it at the Olympics you get the success and adulation of kelly holmes, you mangle it like radcliffe, you'll be on the boarders of being celebrated as one of the all time greats, people will have doubts, the public demand Olympic success of their sporting heroes in athletics.

[kinboshi]

Yup, fraid so. Olympics are where it is at for an Athlete surely?

Possibly.  I'm sure world records, world championships, and grand prix events are also important.  Does anyone remember who won the women's marathon in Athens?  Is she a greater athlete than Paula - she has an Olympic gold so she must be?

[kinboshi]

Radcliffe is the best in the world at road running, rather than the shorter track events.


but she failed in Olympic marathons too


btw I am a big fan of hers. My kids go to a school on Paula Radcliffe Way in her home town! Just think she was intensely frustrating to be a fan of when it really mattered

So if someone's ill or injured for two events, it detracts from her otherwise brilliant record?

In the history books it will matter, people will look back and say her bottle went when it came to the Olympics, the public are in love with the Olympics, forget marathons or world champs, if you do it at the Olympics you get the success and adulation of kelly holmes, you mangle it like radcliffe, you'll be on the boarders of being celebrated as one of the all time greats, people will have doubts, the public demand Olympic success of their sporting heroes in athletics.

OK - so those who don't follow athletics except for one week every four years won't rate her.  I'm sure she'll get over that.

[boldie]

Radcliffe is the best in the world at road running, rather than the shorter track events.


but she failed in Olympic marathons too


btw I am a big fan of hers. My kids go to a school on Paula Radcliffe Way in her home town! Just think she was intensely frustrating to be a fan of when it really mattered

So if someone's ill or injured for two events, it detracts from her otherwise brilliant record?

In the history books it will matter, people will look back and say her bottle went when it came to the Olympics, the public are in love with the Olympics, forget marathons or world champs, if you do it at the Olympics you get the success and adulation of kelly holmes, you mangle it like radcliffe, you'll be on the boarders of being celebrated as one of the all time greats, people will have doubts, the public demand Olympic success of their sporting heroes in athletics.

OK - so those who don't follow athletics except for one week every four years won't rate her.  I'm sure she'll get over that.

I'm sure she won't..which is why she was soo upset when she bottled it.

[TightEnd]

Interesting stuff

Personally, without Olympic gold a world class athlete's record cannot be compared with world class athlete's with Olympic golds

Just my view

[bolt pp]

Radcliffe is the best in the world at road running, rather than the shorter track events.


but she failed in Olympic marathons too


btw I am a big fan of hers. My kids go to a school on Paula Radcliffe Way in her home town! Just think she was intensely frustrating to be a fan of when it really mattered

So if someone's ill or injured for two events, it detracts from her otherwise brilliant record?

In the history books it will matter, people will look back and say her bottle went when it came to the Olympics, the public are in love with the Olympics, forget marathons or world champs, if you do it at the Olympics you get the success and adulation of kelly holmes, you mangle it like radcliffe, you'll be on the boarders of being celebrated as one of the all time greats, people will have doubts, the public demand Olympic success of their sporting heroes in athletics.

OK - so those who don't follow athletics except for one week every four years won't rate her.  I'm sure she'll get over that.

i dont think she will, all the other titles and no olympic gold, not an easy thing to get over, i'm not really sure what you're saying here? the Olympics are a bunch of shit?

every athlete ive ever heard talk about their life/career has said that Olympic gold ranks far above everything else, world records, world champs, dominating the circuit etc, all anyone cares about is showing that Olympic gold to their grandchildren when they re 60 years old and telling them how they won it, who gives a shit about marathons in terms of prestige, it barley even gets a mention by the 10 o clock news that sunday.

also the Olympic success of Kelly Holmes made her an absolute fortune and and insta multi millionaire, you just wont get that public acceptance without the Olympic success, you mention those that dont follow athletics, theyre the ones that DO follow the Olympics, and cheer on their country, and hope for a new sporting hero, who's imagination was captured by kelly holmes two unexpected gold medals.

Unfortunately when you say the name kelly holmes you think of her amazing achievement, it's just the thought her name immediately evokes, whereas radcliffes name indubitably casts an imaige of failure, crying on the road side, consistent Olympic failure, theres always a cloud over her legacy when you say her name.

[gatso]

Possibly.  I'm sure world records, world championships, and grand prix events are also important.  Does anyone remember who won the women's marathon in Athens?  Is she a greater athlete than Paula - she has an Olympic gold so she must be?

lol. athletics grand prix events are probs less important than darts

[bolt pp]

Yup, fraid so. Olympics are where it is at for an Athlete surely?

Possibly.  I'm sure world records, world championships, and grand prix events are also important.  Does anyone remember who won the women's marathon in Athens?  Is she a greater athlete than Paula - she has an Olympic gold so she must be?

paula radcliffe would chop her arm off to be that women, no matter how mediocre she is/was.

no one cares whos better, no one cared then, now or in 20 years when theyre all retired and she's showing her medal off in a bar somewhere to all her friends and family, she turned up and did it on the day, no one cares about ranking and whos best at the Olympics, you get the medal you;re in the history books, end off.

like boldie said radcliffe seemed to give a shit about this one event that shouldnt matter when she pulled up and cried her heart out on the roadside and was said to be depressed for weeks after, sounds some reaction for just another race?

[kinboshi]

also the Olympic success of Kelly Holmes made her an absolute fortune and and insta multi millionaire, you just wont get that public acceptance without the Olympic success, you mention those that dont follow athletics, theyre the ones that DO follow the Olympics, and cheer on their country, and hope for a new sporting hero, who's imagination was captured by kelly holmes two unexpected gold medals.

[  ] Paula radcliffe isn't a millionaire through her running

If Paua's in it for public adoration, then yes she needs to win an Olympic gold (and it still wouldn't be enough).  That wasn't the debate though, was it?

[bolt pp]

also the Olympic success of Kelly Holmes made her an absolute fortune and and insta multi millionaire, you just wont get that public acceptance without the Olympic success, you mention those that dont follow athletics, theyre the ones that DO follow the Olympics, and cheer on their country, and hope for a new sporting hero, who's imagination was captured by kelly holmes two unexpected gold medals.

[  ] Paula radcliffe isn't a millionaire through her running

If Paua's in it for public adoration, then yes she needs to win an Olympic gold (and it still wouldn't be enough).  That wasn't the debate though, was it?

of course it would be enough, it would round off her career perfectly.

I know she's got dough, i was just making the point about how the Olympics is on a different level, kelly holmes wouldnt be where she is now if she'd done what she done at the Commonwealth, European or even world championships, set for life instantly.