Paula Radcliffe hits out at doping allegations

Paula Radcliffe has said she is "humbled and touched" by messages of support since she spoke out against doping allegations in an interview with ITV News.

Conservative MP Jesse Norman, whose comments forced former athlete Paula Radcliffe to deny doping, has criticised the press reaction the matter.

Norman told a select committee that British athletes who had won the London Marathon had potentially doped, leaving Radcliffe heavily under suspicion.

“What is interesting, also, in a three-hour hearing, what’s happened is the press pack – and it is a pack, it’s a herd of ungulates – have basically taken this single snippet and run off to Paula Radcliffe and attempted to bounce her in to making some kind of statement. I think that’s very unfortunate,” Norman told Radio 4's Today programme.

The 53-year-old MP spoke of growing up with Radcliffe's success in the 1990s and early 2000s.

“I certainly massively admire Paula Radcliffe, I grew up on tales of her extraordinary exploits in the 90s and early 2000s, and nothing could be further from the intention of the committee than to have named any athletes. In fact no names were given, no allegations were made, no specific athletes were described, no test results were mentioned.”

Four-time Olympic rowing champion Sir Matthew Pinsent has said that if "Radcliffe cheated then we can all go home its over ... Can't believe it for a second".

Roger Black, the retired 400m runner, said he felt "ridiculous" having to defend Paula Radcliffe against doping allegations.

Former England rugby coach Sir Clive Woodward has commended Paula Radcliffe for denying she ever cheated in her career.

Radcliffe told ITV News she was 'hurt and angered' over claims she doped during her career, after releasing a statement saying she had never used performance enhancing drugs.

Woodward believes Radcliffe should be interviewed by a select investigating the issues of doping in sport.

Sir Clive told Sky News: "The big thing that comes to me is that if you are going to have a select committee to discuss these things, she has to be in the room. She has to be part of this to defend herself and, knowing Paula, she is going to come out fighting."