Paula Radcliffe makes fifth Olympics

LONDON, Dec. 6 (UPI) -- British runner Paula Radcliffe has been selected to compete in her fifth Olympics, qualifying for the women's marathon for the 2012 London Games.

Radcliffe, 37, set the world record for women in the marathon, has won a World Championship in the marathon (2005) and claimed wins in the women's division of the New York, London and Chicago marathons but has yet to win an Olympic medal.

"To represent your country at a home Olympics is something special and I'm over the moon to be selected for Team GB," Radcliffe said. "I was pleased to get the qualifying time in Berlin earlier this year and my sole focus is getting in the right shape for London. I'm just fully concentrating on being fully prepared for next year."

The Games next summer in London will mark Radcliffe's fifth Olympics. She was fifth in the 5,000-meter run in 1996, fourth in the 10,000 in 2000, forced to withdraw from the marathon due to injury in 2004 and placed 23rd in the marathon in 2008.

She becomes the third British athlete to make five Olympic teams. Teresa Sanderson, who competed in the javelin, and race-walker Chris Maddocks also made the British team five times.

Radcliffe set the women's record in the marathon -- 2 hours, 15 minutes, 25 seconds -- at the 2003 London Marathon.