Radcliffe protests against controversial runner
Friday, 10 August 2001 08:59British runner Paula Radcliffe has protested against Russian Olga Yegorova before the start of the 5,000 metres heats in the World Championships. Yegorova had been suspended after testing positive for the banned hormone erythropoetin (EPO) at a meeting in Paris last month. The IAAF were forced to lift her suspension on a technicality, because the French laboratory tested only her urine, not her blood. She was allowed to compete after a test conducted in Edmonton returned negative results.
Angry Radcliffe held up a banner in the stadium which read "EPO Cheats Out". Romanian world and Olympic champion Gabriela Szabo had threatened to boycott the race if Yegorova was allowed to compete but relented "for the sake of my fans". Yegorova finished second in the race, with Szabo fourth, which means both women qualify automatically for the next round.
The race took place without incident, other than Radcliffe's banner protest. "We decided the girls in the race should not have to make a protest, they should be able to concentrate on the race. So we decided to make our protest here instead. To all intents and purposes she (Yegorova) had failed an EPO test and she should not be racing here. I think we have made our protest. We have got it on television. The security guards came along and told me if I did not hand my banner over they would have to take me away, so I gave it to them," said Radcliffe.
Filed by Greg McKevitt
