For an athlete, the biggest pressure comes from within. You know what you want to do and what you're capable of.
Paula RadcliffeIf you look back at my marathons and ask whether I would swap one of them for my one balls-up, of course I would. But you can't choose. You have to make the best of it on the day.
Paula RadcliffeI was glad I did a year abroad, because it helped me as an athlete and as a person. That took me out of my comfort zone. Watching the French athletes train in the Pyrenees made me realise what I had to do to become a top athlete.
Paula RadcliffeThe cheats always have a way of justifying their behaviour - everyone else is getting away with it, so why shouldn't I? But because they're so reliant on the drugs - and the drugs are not always perfect, you're not guaranteed to peak at a big event - they don't have the confidence to look in the mirror and know that they can go out and give their best. If you're clean and you've prepared well for a race, that's where you have an edge.
Paula Radcliffe