London 2012 Olympics: Mo Farah explains why Mrs F looked in a right mood

Published on 13/08/2012 00:00

EAGLE-EYED Olympics watchers will be pleased to know all is harmonious in the Farah household. Moments after his 5,000m triumph on Saturday night, Farah appeared to be involved in a less than friendly exchange with wife Tania.

It turns out, though, their beef was not with each other, but with an over-zealous steward. “She got told off for going on the track last time, this guy was giving her a hard time about it,” Farah explained. “She wasn’t going to go on the track but she just wanted to spend a bit of time with me and the guy was telling me to make a move. She was like, ‘Come on, give us a minute’.”

KOBE Bryant and his fellow Team USA superstars have been throwing themselves into the Olympic spirit. They may be superstars, but there has been no evidence of diva-like behaviour from the basketball glitterati who have turned up at less glamorous sports as spectators and travelled on the Javelin train service from the Olympic Park to central London. Bryant was even willing to lend a hand to a journalist, who was unable to get into a large media scrum surrounding team-mate Carmelo Anthony. Asked if he would use his long arms to place a voice recorder somewhere in the vicinity of Anthony’s mouth, Bryant obliged, collecting the quotes to ensure the journalist in question got the story.

MOST athletes after winning gold in London have had a long list of people to thank: family, friends, coaches, fans, God, team-mates, opponents, the Games Makers... The list goes on. When Carlo Molfetta won gold in the 
over-80kg taekwondo, though, there was only one person on his mind. “The first person I would like to thank is myself,” the modest Italian said. “I have put a lot of work into this medal, lots of injuries and many sacrifices. “That’s why I have to dedicate this gold medal to myself in the first place, then to all the people who supported me on the way to gold.”

BOA chairman Lord Moynihan thanked the Government yesterday for announcing there would be no cut in funding for Olympic sport ahead of the 2016 Games. Moynihan is far too astute to openly accuse politicians of jumping on a bandwagon, but said: “I’ve noticed that politicians have enjoyed these Games and I can understand why Roman emperors wanted annual Games.”

IRELAND’S gold-medal winning boxer Katie Taylor will be feted in her hometown of Bray today when she returns home from London 2012. Up to 6,000 fans were in the seaside town, south of Dublin in County Wicklow, to watch her win her Olympic gold medal and even more are expected to greet her on her return to home soil. She will be presented to the crowd at the bandstand on the seafront and accompanied by Bray-based garda Adam Nolan who fought in the welterweight competition. Music and fireworks are also planned in the town which has enjoyed a surge in visitors on the back of Taylor’s exploits.