AFP
London

Britain’s marathon world record-holder Paula Radcliffe (pictured) says that she went through “12 months of hell” after her name was dragged into athletics’ doping scandal.
Radcliffe, who retired after this year’s London Marathon, publicly denied cheating in September after a British parliamentary committee member made comments that appeared to implicate her in doping practices.
World governing body the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) this week declared her “entirely innocent” and said the manner in which she had come to face accusations was “truly shocking”.
“I have had to endure 12 months of hell,” Radcliffe, 41, told British newspaper The Mail on Sunday.
“The children have been affected by it ... All the phone calls and the worry, all the ruined holidays because mum and dad are busy talking to lawyers.
“I’ve never been in that position before where you haven’t done anything wrong, but people think you’re guilty.
“I had letters from 10 separate people who had almost committed suicide because they were accused of something they didn’t do.”
Radcliffe, a three-time London Marathon champion, also criticised the World Anti-doping Agency (WADA) and UK Anti-doping for not defending her.
“I was very angry with WADA and UK Anti-doping about the way it was handled,” she said.
“When the issue was brought up in the (parliamentary) select committee they had the perfect opportunity to say there had never been any question about any samples of British athletes.
“Or, if they weren’t going to defend me, they should have invited me so I could defend myself. I can explain those (blood) readings, but no one invites me to these things.
“You have to take the figures in context. You have to look at what was happening at the time. No-one did that. They looked at the figures and came to all the wrong conclusions.”
Newly elected IAAF president Sebastian Coe is battling to reform the organisation amid allegations of widespread corruption and evidence of state-sponsored doping in Russia, which has seen the country’s athletes banned from competing.