Radcliffe rival out of marathon

London Marathon winner Irina Mikitenko has pulled out of the Beijing Olympics because of a foot injury brought on my back and pelvic problems.

The 35-year-old German was a medal hopeful after winning in London in two hours, 24 minutes, 14 seconds.

Mikitenko's withdrawal is a boost for world record-holder Paula Radcliffe.

She hopes to run and has flown to the British team's holding camp in Macau after being diagnosed with a stress fracture to her left femur in May.

Radcliffe had been stepping up her rehabilitation at her training base in the French Pyrenees after a recent MRI scan revealed she was recovering well.

606: DEBATE
"There is no other athlete in the world that deserves an Olympic medal than Paula."
frodoireland (U10561324)

Mikitenko finished fifth at the 2000 Sydney Games and seventh in Athens 2004.

Under her maiden name, Volynskaya, she represented Kazakhstan in the 5,000m at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

Her withdrawal follows that of another German medal hope, world champion discus thrower Franka Dietzsch, who is also injured.

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