Athletics: Radcliffe Absence Gives Pavey Her Chance

Britain have so few medal chances at the European Championships, which start here in Gothenburg tomorrow, that they can ill afford to be choosy about where any success comes from. But if it were possible to pick an athlete in the team who deserves a medal more than most, then it would be Jo Pavey.

The 32-year-old is among a handful of world-class athletes we have at the moment but has failed to earn the recognition she deserves largely because she has been overshadowed by Paula Radcliffe. With Radcliffe missing these championships due to pregnancy, Pavey is Britain's highest-ranked athlete (second in the 5,000 metres) going into the event and a medal would help to make up for the many near misses that include her fifth-placed finish over that distance at the 2004 Olympics.

The careers of Radcliffe and Pavey have been intertwined ever since Pavey (then Jo Davis) won the English Schools 1500m junior title in 1988 in a race in which Radcliffe finished eighth. That victory heralded the start of a period where the two moved in different directions. Pavey, bedevilled by injury, failed to capitalise on that early success and it was another nine years before she was to fulfil her potential, by which time Radcliffe was well on her way to establishing herself as the world's best female distance runner.

Pavey, though, does not regret these missed years. She travelled around the world, enjoyed boogie boarding and got married to fellow runner Gavin Pavey. She has improved steadily each year, that progress culminating in her winning a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in March. But the European Championships are of a higher profile and represent an opportunity to move out of Radcliffe's shadow, even if only temporarily.

The similarities between Pavey and Radcliffe are striking, even down to the two wearing long-white socks when they race to protect fragile calves. Like Radcliffe, Pavey's husband is the rock on which her career is built. Gavin gave up his job as a quantity surveyor six years ago to train full-time with his wife. 'Since Gavin has become my coach and mentor I have had fewer injuries, my mind is a lot more focused, and I'm generally more relaxed which is really important and leads to a better all-round performance,' said Pavey. 'I couldn't do without him. We're a team. I'm a lot happier doing my sport, which is the main thing.'

She believes that now is the time to start matching Radcliffe's achievements. 'All my training suggests I am going well,' said Pavey. 'Hopefully I can do something in Gothenburg.' While another similarity to Radcliffe that Pavey could do without is that she lacks a really fast finish at the end of races, there were signs of improvement in that area when she won the 3,000m at the European Cup in Malaga in June, which could be a vital factor here.

Mo Farah, who is among the favourites for a medal in the men's 5,000m, is well-equipped in that respect with a neat turn of pace. The Somalia-born, Hounslow-raised Farah clocked 13min 9.4sec in Heusden, Belgium, last month - putting him behind David Moorcroft as the fastest Briton over the distance.

The 23-year-old is beginning to reap the rewards of a new, more disciplined lifestyle. Farah lives in Teddington, on the outskirts of London, with a group of Kenyan athletes. 'You've got to have a social life and go out with your mates, but the priority is running,' he said. 'I'm training twice every day, having massages after each session, doing some core stability exercises, a bit of weight training and sleeping. That's all.

'Staying injury-free is important, but I still have a lot to learn and a long way to go, especially in world terms. What happens in Gothenburg just depends on the day. I may be up there with those guys now, but a lot of them have much more experience than me.'