Paula ~ The best about sport

Radcliffe bronze still 'awesome'

Yelling and Radcliffe are friends and share the same coaches

An Olympic bronze for Paula Radcliffe would be an "awesome achievement," says British marathon team-mate Liz Yelling.

Radcliffe, 34, was favourite to win Olympic marathon gold in Beijing but now faces a fight to be fit after suffering a stress fracture to her leg.

"She wants to win the gold," said Yelling. "But it would still be an awesome achievement if she came away with the bronze medal.

"People shouldn't give up on her and ask her to throw in the towel."

Radcliffe's plans for a fourth Olympic Games suffered a major setback when she was diagnosed with a stress fracture in her left thigh last week.
Despite medical experts saying the injury could take six to eight weeks to heal, the marathon world record holder plans to start running again in a fortnight.

If she says she will be fit enough to go to the Olympics then so be it - let her go


Radcliffe insists she is "90-100%" likely to run in Beijing and has returned to her French training base in Font Romeu to continue her preparations.
And Yelling says her former training partner must be allowed to make her own decision about whether she could compete in China.
"I think everyone should just give her room to make her own decision," said Yelling, who will be making a second successive Olympic marathon appearance.
"She needs a chance to prove her fitness and that she can get there.
"She'll know next month where she stands and only Paula can answer that question."
Radcliffe is determined to make up for her Athens heartache, when she was forced to pull out of the Olympic marathon at the 23-mile mark.

However, if she is not fit enough to compete in Beijing, Scotland's Hayley Haining has been nominated as a reserve to join Yelling and Mara Yamauchi in Britain's female marathon squad.
The women's Olympic marathon in Beijing is on 17 August and starts from Tianamen Square to the finish point in the National Stadium.

Euro ~ 2008

Euro 2008: Who will you support?

Would you want to work for the Russian?

Mark Hughes, Roberto Mancini and Felipe Scolari are among those on Chelsea's shortlist for the managerial job.

Stay where you are guys ~ The Chairman's a Russian without any idea of loyalty or fairness........and doesn't really know much about football either.

BO HO Manchester!!

Manchester United have threatened to report Real Madrid to Fifa over their interest in signing Cristiano Ronaldo.
A United statement read: "We have watched with growing irritation the comments attributed to Real Madrid over their alleged desire to sign Cristiano.
"We will have no alternative but to report Real if it continues to behave in this totally unacceptable fashion."

BUT HE WANTS TO PLAY FOR THEM ~ NOT MAN UNITED!!

Carl ~ Do your best!

Crystal Palace midfielder Carl Fletcher will captain Wales in Wednesday night's friendly against Iceland in Reykjavik.

Fletcher, 28, takes the armband because Craig Bellamy is not fit enough to reclaim his captain's role, while stand-in Simon Davies is out injured.

West Ham striker Bellamy could play some part, but boss John Toshack will turn to his youngsters against Iceland.
The hosts will be without star striker Eidur Gudjohnsen, who has been blocked from playing by his club Barcelona.
The 29-year-old former Chelsea forward was set to captain Iceland in Wednesday's friendly at the Laugardalsvollur Stadium.
But Iceland were dealt a huge blow when the Spanish giants refused to release talisman Gudjohnsen.
Wales, meanwhile, are missing Davies, David Cotterill, Brian Stock, Paul Parry, Craig Davies, Jermaine Easter, David Vaughan and Carl Robinson.
Wigan forward Cotterill has withdrawn from this week's friendly double-header against Iceland and the Netherlands, on Sunday, for personal reasons, as has Oldham striker Craig Davies and Cardiff's Parry.

606: DEBATE
Give your thoughts on the Wales squad

Fulham midfielder Davies has an ankle injury, Stock picked up a back injury in Doncaster's play-off final win on Sunday against Leeds, while Easter has tendonitis and Vaughan has a leg injury.
Bellamy has been out since 2 February with an abdominal injury but Toshack is hopeful that his regular skipper will be able to take a place on the bench.
Robinson is also set to miss Tuesday's friendly with Iceland as the Toronto midfielder is playing against Montreal on Wednesday.
Hull duo Boaz Myhill and Sam Ricketts will not feature in Iceland after playing in the Championship play-off final on Saturday.
But Toshack will have them back for the visit to Rotterdam on 1 June.
That means Fletcher will be the old hand leading a bunch of talented youngsters into action against Iceland.
Ched Evans, Sam Vokes, James Collison, Joe Jacobson and Aaron Ramsey could all win their first caps.
"There has been a massive change in this squad since my first cap four years ago," Fletcher said.
"But only for the better, there are a lot of really good kids here now and they are in the squad on merit.
"You can see it in training, they have great talent and will give Welsh football a great future.
"There are so many - usually you see two or three coming through but we have loads and that is very refreshing to see.
"It looks good for the World Cup campaign, we have a good blend of youth and experience and if it keeps going like this the sky's the limit."


Wales squad: Wayne Hennessey (Wolves), Boaz Myhill (Hull City), Lewis Price (Derby County), Darcy Blake (Cardiff City), Neal Eardley (Oldham Athletic), Steve Evans (Wrexham), Chris Gunter (Tottenham Hotspur), Joe Jacobson (Bristol Rovers), Craig Morgan (Peterborough United), Lewin Nyatanga (Derby County), Sam Ricketts (Hull City), Ashley Williams (Stockport County), Jack Collison (West Ham), Andrew Crofts (Gillingham), Arron Davies (Nottingham Forest), David Edwards (Wolves), Carl Fletcher (Crystal Palace), Mark Jones (Wrexham), Owain Tudur Jones (Swansea City), Jason Koumas (Wigan Athletic), Joe Ledley, Aaron Ramsey (both Cardiff City), Carl Robinson (Toronto), Craig Bellamy (West Ham), Craig Davies (Oldham Athletic), Freddy Eastwood (Wolves), Ched Evans (Manchester City), Daniel Nardiello (QPR), Sam Vokes (Wolves).

Drugs bust in AussieLand

Olympian, rugby great's son in drug bust


April 17, 2008 - 6:30PM


Olympic silver medallist Scott Miller and the son of Wallabies legend Ken Catchpole are facing criminal charges after Sydney police raids allegedly uncovered drug manufacturing equipment.
Police allegedly found a pill press capable of producing up to 27,000 pills an hour, and a professional tablet counter when they searched a storage facility in Brookvale, on Sydney's northern beaches, at 11am (AEST) Wednesday.
Officers arrested Miller, 33, and allegedly seized OC (capsicum) spray and steroids after raiding his Dee Why unit at 2pm Wednesday.
Mark Catchpole, 40, was arrested at his Seaforth home at the same time.
Catchpole faced Manly Local Court Thursday on 11 charges, including possession of a tablet press, four counts of possessing a prohibited drug, firearms offences, possessing ammunition, possession of equipment to administer a prohibited drug, supplying a prohibited drug and dealing with proceeds of crime.
Police charge sheets allege that during the Seaforth raid, officers found an Amadeo Rossi brand .32 calibre revolver loaded with five Smith and Wesson bullets.
They also allegedly seized ecstasy, the illicit drug ice and three glass pipes used to smoke it, which are also illegal, as well as cocaine and cannabis.
Police also allegedly seized bundles of cash totalling almost a quarter of a million US dollars, suspected of being the proceeds of crime.
Catchpole elected not to appear in court during a brief mention of his matter, and a bail application was foreshadowed for his next appearance via audio-visual link on April 22 at Sydney's Central Local Court.
Bail was formally refused by Magistrate Andrew George and the former Sydney club rugby player and state representative was remanded in custody.
Outside the court, Catchpole's solicitor Ian Rolfe said his client was embarrassed by the charges.
"He's fine in the circumstances, a little embarrassed," Mr Rolfe said.
Miller has also been charged with possession of a tablet press, two counts of possessing a proscribed restricted substance and possessing an offensive weapon.
He was granted police bail on Wednesday night to appear at Manly Local Court on May 7.
The 33-year-old has gone into hiding and had yet to contact his family Thursday afternoon.
"I don't know anything about it mate," Miller's father Barry told AAP.
"The first I heard about it was on the news.
"I rushed in and tried to call him but he is not answering the phone.
"I expect he's inundated.
"I haven't spoken to him, but if I did, I would advise him to fight the charges."
Miller won a silver medal in the 100m butterfly and bronze in the men's medley relay at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
Mark Catchpole's father Ken played 27 Tests for Australia - 13 as captain - and is widely regarded as one of rugby union's greatest scrum halves.
In 1961, he became one of only nine players to make their Test debut as captain when, aged 21, he led the Wallabies in the three-Test series against Fiji.
A medal in his name is awarded annually to the best and fairest player in Sydney club rugby.
Mark Catchpole won that award twice - in 1994 then in 1998, the first year it was named in honour of his father.
© 2008 AAP

Take that in Paris