ATHLETICS: World marathon champion Paula Radcliffe will not defend her European 10,000-metre title in Sweden next month; she is expecting a baby in January.

"I'll continue training at the same level but I definitely will not be doing the European Athletics Championships," the English runner said on the European Athletic Association (EAA) website.

"I'll be four months pregnant by then and do not want to take any risks. I won't compete in top-level competitions but will run some low-key races (this year).

"We'll see how it goes. However, first and foremost, it is important the baby is born healthy," added the 32-year-old.

Radcliffe, the marathon world-record holder, announced her pregnancy in an interview with the Times newspaper yesterday.

The paper said Radcliffe, now 14 weeks pregnant, had the world championships in Osaka, Japan, in August 2007 in her sights for a comeback.

Radcliffe has not raced this year, missing April's London Marathon because of foot surgery.

"My recent foot injury made me realise I was never going to decide to reach the Beijing Olympics (in 2008) and then give it up to have children, so we decided to give it a go," Radcliffe said.

"Mentally I will have fulfilled one of my life goals, so I will return more mature and with the wisdom that is part of being a mother," she told the newspaper.

Radcliffe can look to Scotland's Liz McColgan, who took bronze at the 1991 world cross-country championships just four months after giving birth.

China's Liu Xiang broke the world record for the 110-metre hurdles, clocking 12.88 seconds in Lausanne last night.

Liu (23) shared the previous record, 12.91, with Britain's Colin Jackson - Liu posting that mark on his way to Olympic gold at the 2004 Games in Athens.

American Dominique Arnold also dipped inside the old mark last night, taking second in 12.90.

Marion Jones of the US won the 100m in a time of 10.94.