Paula Radcliffe, the world
record holder in the women’s marathon, withdrew from the Olympics today.
Radcliffe, 38, has competed in four Olympics, but has never won a medal. She experienced a flare of degenerative arthritis
in her foot about 3 weeks ago and just can’t push off normally. She was quoted
to say that her joint was “degenerative and badly damaged’, but does not expect
that this will end her career.
Radcliffe
failed to finish the 2004 Athens Olympics marathon and was 23rd in Beijing four
years later after deciding to race while still recovering from a stress
fracture in her thigh. She finished fourth in the 10,000 meters in Sydney in
2000 and was fifth in the 5,000 in Atlanta.
She
is a three-time winner of the London Marathon, and had hoped for one more big
victory in the capital.
Sadly, this is probably the
end of her Olympic hopes. At 38, it is doubtful she will return to top form in
2016 at the age of 42. Doubtful, but not impossible!
Degenerative arthritis of
your foot can be treated with anti-inflammatories, injections, functional foot
orthotics, physical therapy, and surgery. Surgery can included cleaning up the
joint, fusing the joint or replacing the joint with an implant or spacer. If
you suffer from arthritis in your foot, there are many treatments available.
Contact us or visit your local podiatrist to discuss your symptoms and options
for treatment.
All is not lost for Paula
Radcliffe. She will return to running, but will probably never claim that
elusive Olympic medal.
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