Athletics Radcliffe refuses to rule out first track title

World marathon record holder Paula Radcliffe refused yesterday to rule out another attempt at a first global track title while conceding that it might now be time to move on.

The 31-year-old Briton led from the front in Saturday's world championships 10,000 metres final but was once again passed by a group of Africans and eventually faded to ninth place.

"I wouldn't say it's totally behind me," she told a news conference.

"You never know but I'm probably moving on."

Radcliffe, whose best placing at an Olympic Games or world championships in any event remains the 10,000 silver medal she won at the 1999 Seville world championships, is now preparing for Sunday's marathon.

Her career was transformed when she stepped up to the marathon in 2002 and she was the overwhelming favourite to win the Olympic title last year.

However, troubled by a stomach complaint, she failed to finish either the marathon or the 10,000 metres in Athens.

"I'm looking forward to the mara-thon," she said. "I'm feeling good."

Last week Radcliffe deliberately played down expectations that she planned to win the double in Helsinki by saying she was concentrating on the marathon and would use the 10,000 as part of her training.

Yesterday Radcliffe said she had raced the 10,000 in marathon shoes, which had been especially adapted for the track, rather than wearing spikes.

"My main focus was on the marathon so I wasn't going to compromise my marathon training," she said.