Mo Farah comes out fighting over link with Alberto Salazar

Following the emotion of Saturday night, as his major track career finished with a disappointing silver medal in the 5,000m, an angry Sir Mo Farah came out fighting at a press conference yesterday morning after he was once again questioned about his relationship with controversial coach Alberto Salazar.
Sir Mo Farah lies anguished after finishing second in the 5,000m. Picture: Getty.Sir Mo Farah lies anguished after finishing second in the 5,000m. Picture: Getty.
Sir Mo Farah lies anguished after finishing second in the 5,000m. Picture: Getty.

Farah felt the love from the fans in London Stadium after his valiant effort to drag his exhausted body to a perfect ending with an 11th global gold fell short and he was beaten by 23-year-old Ethiopian Muktar Edris.

Yesterday morning, however, at the British team HQ in London’s Docklands, it was a prickly Farah who once again found himself having to defend his reputation and legacy.

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The 34-year-old Briton joined Salazar’s Nike Oregon Project in Portland, Oregon, in 2011 and the coach is now being investigated by the US Anti-Doping Agency.

Farah missed two doping tests – one short of the UK Anti-Doping “three strikes rule” – in the lead-up to London 2012. He has never failed a test and there is no evidence that he is guilty of any wrongdoing whatsoever and yet he has been dogged by questions on the issue for the past couple of years.

“It’s like a broken record, repeating myself, if I’ve crossed the line, if Alberto’s crossed the line...why bring it up year after year, making it into headlines? I’ve achieved what I have achieved – you’re trying to destroy it,” said Farah.

“You have to educate the right people to say what’s fair. So many times, you guys have been unfair to me. I know that. But say it how it is. I want you to write the truth about what’s out there and educate people out there. But be honest with them.

History doesn’t lie. What I achieved over the years, people are proud of me. You can write what you like.

“The fact is I’ve achieved what I have from hard work. Putting my balls on the line, year after year and delivering for my country.

“There’s nothing else to be said. History doesn’t lie. I’ve achieved what I have through hard work and dedication, year after year. Sometimes I find it bizarre how certain people write certain things to suit how they want to sell the story.”

Farah also dismissed any significance over Salazar’s absence and is unsure if the pair will continue together when he switches to the road.

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He said: “I haven’t thought that far ahead. I’ve a few races left, then I’ll take a nice break. And see how it goes.

“How many races has he been to this year for me or last year? He hasn’t been to any races. For the last three or four years I have been pretty much by myself and it didn’t make much difference really – I knew what I needed to do.”

Farah is due to run in Birmingham in the Diamond League on Sunday before finishing in Zurich and is now eager to start a new career on the road after ending his track era in the place that means most to him.

He said: “I had tears in my eyes, I’ve never had that before. It’s been an amazing journey. To end it in London, where it all started, I got a bit emotional. I look at my family, what I’ve done and it gets to you. At the end of the day I’m human and it hasn’t all been a smooth ride.

“If I had it perfect it would have been nice to end in double-double but anything is possible. At some point it has to come to an end.

“I always told myself London is where it started and London was where it was going to stop. I was known as normal Mo and then overnight after London I was ‘Mo’, I couldn’t go anywhere. To finish here is a nice thing.

“I know myself when I crossed the line there was nothing left of me, nothing. I gave my all. Over the years it has worked and I crossed the line first, but not this time.”

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