Paris Games 2024: Sinead Diver battles plantar fasciitis, extreme cramping in Paris capitulation

Sinead Diver was out of the women’s marathon before it had really started, but after a far from ideal preparation for Paris, some are asking why she did not withdraw sooner.

Australian record holder Sinead Diver had been battling plantar fasciitis in the lead-up to the Paris Olympic marathon where she lasted just 1km but blamed extreme cramping for her embarrassing early exit.

There had been concerns about Diver’s health in recent weeks and that ramped up over the last few days in the village with questions being asked as to why the 47-year-old didn’t withdraw earlier.

The selection of the women’s marathon team was clouded in controversy after Athletics Australia opted to leave out four-time Olympian Lisa Weightman in favour of Diver, Jess Stenson and Genevieve Gregson.

Diver wasn’t in the spotlight of the selection drama, that was more focused on Stenson who delivered her end of the bargain by finishing 13th in 2hr:26min45sec – her best Olympic performance and the fifth best by an Australian woman.

Former steeplechaser Gregson faded over the final stages to finish 24th (2:29.56sec) but it was Diver’s meltdown which was the talking point.

Sinead Diver’s race was almost over before it started. Picture: David Caird

Athletics Australia high performance manager Andrew Faichney said the medical team had cleared Diver to run and that she’d experienced “bilateral cramping in both quadriceps”.

“I am comfortable with the decision to race,” he said. “She and the medical team cleared her to run. Today was completely unrelated to the plantar fasciitis in her right foot.

“She cramped in both quads and it started before the race so obviously for her to have to finish so soon it was extreme (cramping).

“It had nothing to do with the plantar fasciitis as she was completely cleared to run for that. She said her foot was fine, it was her cramping quads that were the problem.”

The issue for Diver is there was a precedent set at these Games when Australia’s No. 1 male marathoner Brett Robinson withdrew two weeks before the start of the race because of a glute injury.

He then personally called his replacement Andy Buchanan to tell him he was getting the chance of a lifetime to run in Paris.

Ironically, Weightman, 45, ran a stunning half-marathon on the Sunshine Coast on Sunday morning.

Gregson confirmed Diver didn’t have the “most ideal prep” but she’d kept her battles to herself.

Lisa Weightman wasn’t picked for Paris. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)

“I know the last few days she was not having the most ideal prep,” Gregson said. “And when we were all gathered in the call room we just had a big hug and I just said whatever you do out there today, we’re going to be so proud of you.

“Because when you’re an athlete and you have something go wrong, you want to make it all about you and you want to talk about and have everyone help you. Sinead never, ever did that because she didn’t want to raise the stress level.

“She didn’t want us to worry about anything that wasn’t important and she just kept being like, ‘I’m proud of you girls, go out there give it everything’ so I’m just in awe of what she would have been dealing with mentally and keeping it to herself.”

There was a feel-good moment around the halfway mark when Stenson, who gave birth to her second child less than 12 months ago, went to the lead of the race and was briefly joined by Gregson.

Jessica Stenson held a brief lead. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)

“It did feel a little bit scary out the front and I had to forget that I was in the Olympics,” Stenson said. “I tried to just think in really simple terms, picture myself in a session running on my own and not be overwhelmed by the moment.”

The biggest moment of the race came inside the final 500m when Sifan Hassan, who was competing in her third event of the Games, and world record holder Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa came together with some push and shove in sight of the finish line.

Hassan went on to win the race in an Olympic record time of 2hr22.55sec – three seconds ahead of Assefa who later protested the result. Kenya’s Hellen Obiri finished third (2:23.10sec).

The victory caps off a remarkable week for the 31-year-old Dutchwoman who won bronze medals in the 5000m and 10000m.

Originally published as Paris Games 2024: Sinead Diver battles plantar fasciitis, extreme cramping in Paris capitulation