Paula Radcliffe says she had no choice but to speak out after British MP Jesse Norman appeared to implicate her in the doping allegations engulfing athletics.
The three-time London Marathon winner released a statement on Tuesday emphatically denying cheating during her record-breaking career.
This followed comments made during a Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee hearing.
Members of parliament have launched an investigation into recent allegations made by the Sunday Times and the German broadcaster ARD.
They claimed hundreds of athletes had recorded suspicious blood test results which were not followed up by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).
These claims have been denied by the athletics world governing body.
Norman appeared to raise suspicions about Radcliffe while questioning UK Anti-Doping chairman David Kenworthy.
Radcliffe said that Norman left people in no doubt that he was referring to her when speaking about past London Marathon winners.
“Essentially he identified me,” she said, speaking in a Sky News interview
"Then people had free rein because of the parliamentary privilege to go ahead and name me in the press.
"At that point I am not prepared to be blackmailed by the paper in question any more on this matter and I am going to go out and defend myself.
"I wanted to avoid it because I did not want my name to be on the front page of all the papers."
She continued: "I definitely do not want my children to print their mum's name into Google and find that the first thing that comes up next to it is 'drugs cheat' or 'doper'.
"It is not something I ever wanted to happen. I will not stand by and not defend myself when I am put in this situation."
Norman has come out fighting however, suggesting that the media misinterpreted his comments.
Speaking on BBC Radio, he said: "Nothing could be further from the intention of the committee than to have named any athlete.
"In fact no names were given, no allegations were made, no specific athletes were described, no test results were mentioned.
"I have no doubt that many others who believe in the importance of eradicating doping from sport are massively supportive of the hearings.
“What has happened is... the press pack, and it is a pack, it's a herd of ungulates, has taken this single snippet and run off to Paula Radcliffe and attempted to bounce her into making some kind of statement.
"I think that's very unfortunate."
Norman had seemed to refer to a prominent British marathon runner on Tuesday.
He asked Kenworthy during the House of Commons hearing: "When you hear that the London Marathon, potentially the winners or medalists at the London Marathon, potentially British athletes are under suspicion for very high levels of blood doping.
"When you think of the effect that has on young people and the community nature of that event, what are your emotions about that, how do you feel about that?”
