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| Paula Radcliffe is confident ahead of the Olympics [GALLO/GETTY] |
Paula Radcliffe intends to run the marathon at the Beijing Olympics "unless my leg breaks down.''
The world record holder from Britain has been trying to overcome a stress fracture in her left thigh in time to compete in her fourth straight Olympics.
"I'm racing unless my leg breaks down,'' said the 34-year-old Radcliffe, who joined her teammates at their training base in Macau on Monday.
"The aim has always been to start the race. Everyday I go out and plan to start the race,'' Radcliffe added.
"I'm getting more and more confident because every day you run more on it and it gets stronger.''
Radcliffe dropped out of the marathon at the 2004 Athens Games, but she won the world championship title in the event a year later in Helsinki, Finland.
"I feel good. I feel happier even to be at this stage,'' Radcliffe said.
"I know from the stuff that I've done that I'm in good enough shape to be on the start line.''
Comeback
In February, Radcliffe won the Laureus award for World Comeback of the Year for winning the New York Marathon after two years away from competition following childbirth.
She set the world record of 2 hours, 15 minutes, 25 seconds at the London Marathon in 2003. She also won the London race in 2002 and '05.
"I don't know but I guess I'm probably not in 2:12 shape, but I think if you put yourself on the start line, you're in with a chance,'' Radcliffe said.
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