Sun not set to shine in London
Asian champion Sun Yingjie does not consider herself a likely candidate to win Sunday’s Flora London Marathon.
Yingjie, the world’s third fastest marathon performer, heads for the British capital having just recovered from a shoulder injury after falling on ice during a training session.
The Chinese star said: “I don’t have very high expectations for myself at this weekend’s event.
“I don’t feel under much pressure. My view is that it’s a practice for me, so I will have more experience for the Olympics.”
But how the 26-year-old performs in what she insists is another learning step in her Olympic build-up, could influence her choice of event in Athens.
A surprise 10,000 metres bronze medallist in last summer’s world championships, she is undecided what distance she will opt for at the Olympics.
“In Athens I will run either the 5000m and the 10,000m, or the 10,000m and the marathon,” said an athlete whose quickest marathon time is two hours, 19 minutes and 39 seconds.
“I will make my decision after a competition in Shijiazhuang,” said the world-class track and road running performer.
She admitted last year’s London champion and world marathon record-holder Paula Radcliffe was a role model to top Chinese athletes.
Yingjie, who knows Radcliffe would be a major challenger for the gold medal at Athens if she opts to run the marathon, said: “In China our goal is to achieve all what she has done.”
