Paula Radcliffe after running the 2015 London Marathon. (Photo: Image of Sport)

In a 1700-word statement, marathon world record-holder Paula Radcliffe denied “cheating in any form whatsoever at any time in my career.” 

 

The statement followed a Parliamentary committee hearing that investigated an August report by The Sunday Times revealing a secret IAAF database containing more than 12,000 suspicious blood values from 5,000 athletes. Since the report was published, the IAAF has vehemently denied the allegations, calling them “sensationalist and confusing.”

 

The Parliamentary hearing on Tuesday alluded that Radcliffe was one of the seven British athletes to provide “suspicious blood values” between 2001 and 2012. During the House of Commons hearing, Committee Chairman Jesse Norman questioned Chairman of UK Anti-Doping David Kentworthy when he raised suspicions about a British marathoner, according to a report from The Telegraph. 

 

In response, Radcliffe broke her silence on the suspicions and issued a lengthy statement on PaulaRadcliffe.com that denied any cheating at any point in her career:

 

“I categorically deny that I have resorted to cheating in any form whatsoever at any time in my career, and am devastated that my name has even been linked to these wide-ranging accusations. I have campaigned long and hard throughout my career for a clean sport. I have publicly condemned cheats and those who aid them. These accusations threaten to undermine all I have stood and competed for, as well as my hard earned reputation. By linking me to allegations of cheating, damage done to my name and reputation can never fully be repaired, no matter how untrue I know them to be,” Radcliffe wrote. 

 

The four-time Olympian’s name was never mentioned in The Sunday Times report, and she has never tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs.  

 

Radcliffe also clarified any questions regarding suspicious blood levels, stating that she was tested after periods of altitude training, which can affect blood levels.

 

“In all of these three cases referred to by The Sunday Times (as well as on many more occasions) I was EPO urine tested at the time, and also in follow up. All of these cases followed periods of altitude training. Only one of my blood test scores is marginally above the 1 in 100 accepted threshold, and this is invalid given that it was collected immediately following a half marathon race run around midday in temperatures of approximately 30C,” Radcliffe wrote.

 

“None of my blood test scores are anywhere near the 1 in 1000 threshold as was claimed by The Sunday Times and that which is seen as suspicion of doping. No abnormalities were ultimately found and any allegation that the IAAF did not follow up on blood data results in my case was false,” Radcliffe wrote. 

 

Radcliffe recently retired from competitive running this past April when she competed in the 2015 London Marathon, the race where she set the world record-mark of 2:15:25 in 2003.