Radcliffe Goes for Historic Double Gold

Paula Radcliffe will attempt to emulate one of the greatest feats in athletics history by running the 10,000 metres and the marathon at the world championships in Helsinki next month.

The Olympic Stadium there will be forever associated with Emil Zatopek, the Czech runner who at the 1952 Olympics claimed gold medals in the 5,000m, 10,000m and marathon. It is a feat that remains unsurpassed but Radcliffe hopes to become the first athlete since Zatopek to win the 10,000m and marathon in the same global championships. For all the success in her career, she still has to win a title at an Olympics or world championships.

It demonstrates that Radcliffe's confidence remains unaffected by what happened at the Olympics in Athens when she tried the same double only to drop out of each race.

There is a crucial difference on this occasion. Unlike in Athens, where the marathon took place first, Radcliffe will be running in the 10,000m first on August 6 on the opening day of the championships and will have eight days to recover before taking part in the marathon on the closing day.

The Bedford runner, 31, will be using the shorter track race to sharpen herself for the marathon, which as the world record holder she insists remains her main focus. She will line up for the marathon having run more than five minutes faster than any other woman this year. Radcliffe said yesterday she had planned to do her last hard training session for the marathon on the day of the 10,000m and it made sense to run both events.

"It's like doing a pre-race championship race - except my race is in the championship," she said. "It's a challenge but I think it fits together well. The training has not been changed to accommodate it. If everything goes according to plan the 10k can replace my last session. I'm hoping to have a good run there and then move on to the marathon."

As the second fastest 10,000m runner in history, there will be huge expectations that Radcliffe can become the first Briton to win the world title in that event since Liz McColgan in 1991. Her main opposition is likely to come from a trio of Ethiopians led by Tirunesh Dibaba.

"I don't see why she cannot do it," said Lasse Viren, Finland's 1972 and 1976 Olympic 5000m and 10,000m champion. "When she is fit and at her best she is almost unbeatable. Only she really knows what she is capable of, based upon her training sessions. It will be tough but if anyone can do it, then I believe Paula can."

But Radcliffe made it clear yesterday from her training base in the French Pyrénées that if she suffers any setbacks in her training during the next 10 days she will sacrifice the 10,000m. "Both races are really important to me so it's impossible to rank one above the other," she said. "But I feel all the preparation this year has been geared towards the marathon."

By planning to run both events Radcliffe is certain to raise speculation that she is trying to make amends for what happened in Athens. There, she had lined up as the favourite to win the marathon but dropped out. She then lined up for the 10,000m a few days later only to fail to finish again. Radcliffe denies that is her motivation for this decision. "Last year happened - I'm never going to be happy with it but I have moved on."

Her preparation for Athens was ruined by late injury and illness problems. This year Radcliffe suffered a setback with a back injury that led to her suffering a defeat the last occasion she raced, in the 5,000m at the European Cup in Leiria, Portugal, last month.

Since then a small army of physiotherapists, who she claims have cured her, has worked on her. "My back has settled down nicely, I'm feeling well and enjoying the training," said Radcliffe.

Great Britain team

Men

100m M Devonish (Coventry Godiva), J Gardener (Bath), M Lewis-Francis (Birchfield).

200m Devonish, C Lambert (Belgrave), C Malcolm (Cardiff).

400m T Benjamin (Belgrave), M Davis (Woodford Green & EL), R Tobin (Basingstoke & Mid Hants).

800m J McIlroy (Windsor, Slough & Eton).

1500m M East (Newham & Essex), N McCormick (Morpeth).

3,000m steeplechase A Lemoncello (Fife).

Marathon H Lobb (Bedford), D Robinson (Tipton).

110m hurdles A Scott (Shaftesbury Barnet).

400m hurdles R Williams (Cardiff).

High jump B Challenger (Belgrave).

Long jump C Tomlinson (Newham & Essex).

Triple jump N Douglas (Oxford City), P Idowu (Belgrave, if fit).

Shot C Myerscough (Blackpool).

Javelin N Nieland (Shaftesbury Barnet).

4x100m relay D Campbell (Sale), Devonish, Gardener, Lambert, Lewis-Francis, Malcolm, C Pickering (Milton Keynes).

4x400m relay Benjamin, Davis, G Hedman (Woodford Green & EL), M Rooney (Croydon), Tobin, Williams.

Women

100m E Ania (Shaftesbury Barnet).

400m D Fraser (Croydon), L McConnell (Shaftesbury Barnet), C Ohuruogu (Newham & Essex).

800m S Scott (Glasgow).

1500m H Clitheroe (Preston).

5,000m K Butler (Windsor, Slough & Eton), J Pavey (Exeter).

10,000m K Butler (Windsor, Slough & Eton), P Radcliffe (Bedford).

3,000m steeplechase J Ankier (Shaftesbury Barnet).

Marathon H Haining (Glasgow), D Mason (Tipton), Radcliffe, M Yamauchi (Harrow).

100m hurdles S Claxton (Woodford Green and Essex Ladies).

400m hurdles N Sanders (Windsor, Slough & Eton).

Pole vault J Whitlock (Trafford).

Long jump K Sotherton (Birchfield).

Hammer S Webb (City of Edinburgh).

Javelin G Sayers (Belgrave).

Heptathlon Sotherton.

4x100m relay D Allahgreen (Trafford), Ania, A Ceesay (Newham & Essex), K Endacott (City of Plymouth), E Freeman (Wakefield), L Turner (Harrow).

4x400m relay Fraser, McConnell, J Meadows (Wigan), Ohuruogu, N Sanders (Windsor, Slough & Eton), K Wall (Basildon).