THE eloquent body language after her heart-breaking World Championship defeat spoke volumes. Paula Radcliffe seemed not just to have lost a race, but perhaps even a husband.

In an amazing public row, before some 25,000 in Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium, she pushed husband Gary Lough away, before storming off as he attempted to question her tactics.

In an action replay of last year's Olympic 10,000 metres final, Radcliffe led until 10 metres from the bell, only for three rivals to sweep past and deny her. Headed by Derartu Tulu, Ethiopia claimed all three medals for the first time in world or Olympic history.

The 28-year-old Radcliffe fought back into third, threading through stragglers in the home straight as she raced glued to Gete Wami, but she lost on the line. Two years ago, in Seville, Radcliffe had led for 24 of the 25 laps, before finishing second, as Wami took gold.

Here in Edmonton, 10 years after Liz McColgan's success in Tokyo, Radcliffe dreamed of emulating her Scottish role model as sole British winner of a global endurance title. She employed different tactics, hiding in the pack and delaying her attack, but once again won nothing, save admiration for her courage.

This experience, however, was even more devastating. The scoreboard flashed up that Radcliffe had won bronze. Alerted by the crowd, Radcliffe looked up in time to see her name in bronze lights. Briefly, her face also lit up, but her smile was extinguished as the scoreboard suddenly relegated her to fourth.

Urged on by the drum-beat of a cacophonous clack of her countrymen, Tulu won in 31min 48.81sec, by four-hundredths of a second from Berhane Adere, with Wami and Radcliffe just over a second behind. She finished in 31min 50.06sec, missing bronze by eight-hundredths of a second.

''I probably should have gone earlier than I did,'' Radcliffe acknowledged later. ''I thought I had the bronze down the home straight. To put it on the scoreboard was cruel.''

Even more harrowing, though, was the reception from her husband and manager. As she stepped from the track, numb with disappointment, Lough moved forward, arms outstretched, palms up.

He agitatedly questioned how she had gone about the race. Almost immediately he realised support, not criticism, was the order of the hour, but too late. He raised his arms, and, in a comic transformation of gestures, was on the brink of embracing her. Incensed, Radcliffe thrust out her right arm, delivering a hand-off of which Jonah Lomu might have been proud. Lough took it arrestingly in the chest, and Paula stormed off.

The former international 1500m runner pursued his wife under the gaze of TV cameras and the scrutiny of a scrum of reporters. He could hardly have been unaware of their presence as he attempted to make peace.

Radcliffe, who had appeared philosophical about defeat, was shaking and close to tears, with Lough still glaring as she spoke.

The intensity of their hopes, and profound disappointment after enormous work and meticulous preparation, culminated in a dramatic post-race interview.

''She's the runner - she makes the decisions,'' conceded Gary.

''He thought I should have gone sooner,'' interjected Radcliffe. ''Everyone gets caught up in the emotion of the race, but maybe that wasn't the right time to tell me.''

Lough later agreed as much: ''I have said I am sorry, and I hope she accepts my apology,'' he said. His timing was as destructive as his wife's tactics, though to put these in perspective, she covered the final 1500m faster than Britain's representatives at that distance, who all were eliminated in the heats. Radcliffe was 2:47.52 for the final kilometre, and 3:19.63 for the last 1200m. However, the shorter her finishing thrust, the more it plays into Ethiopian hands.

''Because the pace was so slow, I knew we could sweep the event,'' confirmed Tulu. ''I was a little surprised . . . For her to pick up the pace that late was not a good decision, I think.''

Tulu covered the final 600m in just under 96 seconds, and the last lap in 63.36. To that, Radcliffe had no answer.

Radcliffe, in explaining her tactics, said: ''I definitely tried something different. I feel I've been running faster over the shorter distances, and felt I could run really hard for three or four laps.''

Buried deep in the pack, she was in twelfth as 5000m was reached by a tightly-bunched pack in a modest 16:29.89. With the Bedford woman fastest in the field this year, it was like a game of chess as everyone waited on her to move.

So bemused were the Ethi-opians that Wami was dispatched back to take a look at her. Radcliffe moved to third with eight laps left, but did not deliver her attack. Hindsight will reveal this as her last chance.

Radcliffe finally hit the front with three laps to go, immediately dropping all but the Ethiopian trio. They proceeded ominously behind her.

''From the moment I kicked, Adere had her foot down the back of my spikes,'' said Radcliffe. ''I sensed they were looking for me. At no point was I panicking. I got over-confident.

''I will always be asking myself if I could have done a little bit more.''

With the world half-marathon title to her name, and the world cross-country crown, you might presume the marathon will now receive her full attention. You would be wrong.

Though Radcliffe makes her debut at the distance in London next April, she insists she will continue to pursue her dream of global track gold.

''I hope Tulu is in London,'' she said, ''but this is definitely not my final world champion-ship on the track. If anything, I hope the marathon will make me stronger.''