PAULA Radcliffe has revealed the reason for her disappointing Olympic marathon performance.

It had nothing to do with heat or dehydration as conjectured at the time.

She says a leg injury, which had hampered her preparations and almost prevented her starting the race, was the cause of her pulling out. Because of anti-inflammatories she had taken for the injury, the body fuel she had stocked up on before the race was unable to get through to her legs.

Her medical state meant she was having to break down body tissue for fuel.

Tests showed that her liver was struggling to cope, and she would have caused serious damage to her body had she continued.

The cruel British public did not care to wait for the real reason for her failure at the time, preferring to dismiss her as a prima donna who couldn't even be bothered to finish the race.

I wonder if they still think she should have finished the race.