大象传媒

Is there anybody out there who would begrudge Paula Radcliffe Olympic gold in the marathon in Beijing?

Britain's finest female distance runner has won World, European and Commonwealth golds over a multitude of distances and set numreous world records in a glittering career.

But she has just one thing missing from her medal cabinet - Olympic gold.

And she currently faces arguably the biggest race of her career just to make it to the start line in China.

The 34-year-old pulled out of the London marathon earlier in the year with a foot injury but a

Team GB selectors are keen to give Radcliffe as much time as possible to recover, and when the final British athletics team is announced.

And can you blame them? and has won seven of the eight marathons she has entered -

Despite her Olympic record which reads: fifth in the 5,000m at the Atlanta 1996 Games; fourth in the 10,000m at the Sydney 2000 Games; a fit Radcliffe will be among the favourites to triumph over the 26 and a bit mile course in the Chinese capital.

But will she go to Beijing? And if she does will she come home with gold? And if the worst was to happen, would Radcliffe be remembered as the best British athlete never to win an Olympic medal, never mind gold?