By Duncan Mackay
British Sports Internet Writer of the Year

October 31 - Paula Radcliffe, who failed to win a medal in three consecutive Olympics, has been voted England's Athlete of the Decade ahead of Dame Kelly Holmes, who at Athens in 2004 became the first British athlete for 84 years to  win gold medals in both the 800 and 1500 metres at the same Games.


In another controversial decision taken by England Athletics, convicted drugs cheat Linford Christie was inducted into the Hall of Fame alongside Radcliffe, Dame Kelly and former world record holder Brendan Foster.

Radcliffe was chosen for redefining the boundaries of women's marathon running and her world record of 2 hours 15min 25sec, set at the London Marathon in 2003, is still more than three minutes faster than any other female has run.

Radcliffe also won the London and New York Marathons three times and lifted the world marathon title at Helsinki in 2005.

But her lack of an Olympic gold medal is a massive gap in her career.

The Bedford runner finished fourth in the 10,000 metres at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Then, weakened by injury and illness, she failed to finish the marathon at Athens in 2004 and four years later in Beijing, her build-up again compromised by injuries, she finished 23rd.

In contrast, Dame Kelly won a bronze medal in the 800m at Sydney after battling back from injury and then brilliantly surprised everyone in Athens when she claimed victory in first the 800m and then the 1500m.



It meant she succeeded where Sebastian Coe had twice narrowly failed and became the first British runner since Albert Hill at Antwerp in 1920 to complete the classic middle-distance double.

Hill was fittingly posthumously inducted into the Hall of Fame alongside Dame Kelly at a special ceremony at the Birmingham Metropole Hilton.

Others inducted included Foster, the 1976 Olympic 10,000m bronze medallist who is now best known as a commentator for BBC TV and the founder of the Great North Run, and Walter George, who in the 19th century set a series of world records at distances ranging from two miles to the hour.

But the inclusion of Christie will cause controversy.

The 1992 Olympic 100m champion, who also lifted the world title in 1993 in 9.87sec, a time that just missed the world record of the time, his career was tarnished when he tested positive for banned anabolic steroids in 1999 and was suspended for two years.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]