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| caption = Farah at the [[2008 European Cross Country Championships]]
| caption = Farah at the [[2008 European Cross Country Championships]]
| nationality = [[British people|British]]
| nationality = [[British people|British]]
| sport = [[Endurance training|Endurance]], [[Athletics (sport)|Athletics]], [[Long-distance running]], [[Middle-distance running]]
| sport = [[Endurance training|Endurance]], [[running]], [[Long-distance running]], [[Middle-distance running]]
| years_active = 1996 - present
| years_active = 1996 - present
| event = [[1500 metres|1500 m]], [[3000 metres|3000 m]], [[5000 metres|5000 m]], [[10000 metres|10,000 m]], [[Marathon]]
| event = [[1500 metres|1500 m]], [[3000 metres|3000 m]], [[5000 metres|5000 m]], [[10000 metres|10,000 m]], [[Marathon]]
Line 81: Line 81:
In addition, Farah competes in [[cross-country running]], where in December 2006 he became European champion in Italy.<ref name="BBC-Cross-Country">{{cite news | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/athletics/6166845.stm | work = BBC website |title = Farah storms to European success | date = 10 December 2006}}</ref> He also took gold in the 3000 m in both the [[2009 European Athletics Indoor Championships|2009]] and [[2011 European Athletics Indoor Championships|2011]] [[European Athletics Indoor Championships]], in [[Turin]] and Paris, respectively.
In addition, Farah competes in [[cross-country running]], where in December 2006 he became European champion in Italy.<ref name="BBC-Cross-Country">{{cite news | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/athletics/6166845.stm | work = BBC website |title = Farah storms to European success | date = 10 December 2006}}</ref> He also took gold in the 3000 m in both the [[2009 European Athletics Indoor Championships|2009]] and [[2011 European Athletics Indoor Championships|2011]] [[European Athletics Indoor Championships]], in [[Turin]] and Paris, respectively.


Farah was originally based in London and ran for [[Newham and Essex Beagles]] athletics club, training at [[St. Mary's University College (Twickenham)|St Mary's University College, Twickenham]]'s sports facilities in [[Strawberry Hill, London|Strawberry Hill]] from 2001 to 2011. In 2011, he relocated some of his training sessions to [[Portland, Oregon|Portland]], [[Oregon]], United States, in order to further his training with coach [[Alberto Salazar]].<ref name="news.bbc.co.uk"/>
Farah was originally based in London and ran for [[Newham and Essex Beagles]] athletics club, training at [[St. Mary's University College (Twickenham)|St Mary's University College, Twickenham]]'s sports facilities in [[Strawberry Hill, London|Strawberry Hill]] from 2001 to 2011. In 2011, he relocated some of his training sessions to [[Portland, Oregon|Portland]], [[Oregon]], United States, in order to further his training with coach [[Alberto Salazar]].<ref name="news.bbc.co.uk"/> His running style has been described as "bouncy".<ref>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/athletics/10460879/Coup-for-UK-Athletics-as-Mo-Farah-coach-Alberto-Salazar-agrees-to-help-Britains-middle-and-long-distance-runners.html coup for Uk athletics as Mo Farah coach Alberto Salazar agrees to help Britains middle and long distance runners] retrieved 9 December, [[The Telegraph]]</ref>


Farah has won various accolades for his athletic achievements. In 2011, he was voted [[European Athlete of the Year Trophy|European Athlete of the Year]],<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/athletics/15181590.stm | work=BBC News | title=Farah handed 2011 European award | date=5 October 2011}}</ref> and won the prize again in 2012.<ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/athletics/9589319/Mo-Farah-voted-European-Male-Athlete-of-Year-for-second-year-in-a-row.html Mo Farah voted European male athlete of the year for second year] retrieved 10 October 2012</ref> Farah was also appointed [[Commander of the Order of the British Empire]] (CBE) in the 2013 New Year Honours for services to athletics.<ref name="Lgsztss">{{LondonGazette |issue=60367 |date=29 December 2012 |startpage=24 |supp=yes }}</ref><ref name="Tnyh">{{cite news|url=http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/sites/default/files/resources/NY2013-honours-London-2012.pdf|title= 2013 New Year's Honours|accessdate=29 December 2012}}</ref> In 2013 he won the British Athletics Writers Association ''british athlete of the year'' award for the fifth time, more than any other athlete in history.<ref>http://www.athleticsweekly.com/news/british-athletics-writers-association-awards/</ref>
Farah has won various accolades for his athletic achievements. In 2011, he was voted [[European Athlete of the Year Trophy|European Athlete of the Year]],<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/athletics/15181590.stm | work=BBC News | title=Farah handed 2011 European award | date=5 October 2011}}</ref> and won the prize again in 2012.<ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/athletics/9589319/Mo-Farah-voted-European-Male-Athlete-of-Year-for-second-year-in-a-row.html Mo Farah voted European male athlete of the year for second year] retrieved 10 October 2012</ref> Farah was also appointed [[Commander of the Order of the British Empire]] (CBE) in the 2013 New Year Honours for services to athletics.<ref name="Lgsztss">{{LondonGazette |issue=60367 |date=29 December 2012 |startpage=24 |supp=yes }}</ref><ref name="Tnyh">{{cite news|url=http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/sites/default/files/resources/NY2013-honours-London-2012.pdf|title= 2013 New Year's Honours|accessdate=29 December 2012}}</ref> In 2013 he won the British Athletics Writers Association ''british athlete of the year'' award for the fifth time, more than any other athlete in history.<ref>http://www.athleticsweekly.com/news/british-athletics-writers-association-awards/</ref>

Revision as of 06:37, 9 December 2013

Mo Farah
CBE
Farah at the 2008 European Cross Country Championships
Personal information
NationalityBritish
Born (1983-03-23) 23 March 1983 (age 41)
Mogadishu, Somalia[1]
Monument(s)gold postboxes Isleworth, London; Teddington, London
OccupationAthlete
Years active1996 - present
Height1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)[2]
Weight58 kg (128 lb; 9 st 2 lb)[3]
SpouseTania Nell
ChildrenRihanna, Aisha, Amani
Websitewww.mofarah.com
Sport
SportEndurance, running, Long-distance running, Middle-distance running
Event(s)1500 m, 3000 m, 5000 m, 10,000 m, Marathon
University teamSt Mary's University College Twickenham London
ClubNewham and Essex Beagles, London
Nike Oregon Project, Portland
Coached byAlberto Salazar
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)800 m: 1:48.69 (Eton 2003)

1500 m: 3:28.81 (Monaco 2013)
3000 m: 7:34.47 (Birmingham 2009)
5000 m: 12:53.11 (Monaco 2011)
10,000 m: 26:46.57 (Eugene 2011)

Half Marathon: 60:10 (Bupa Great North Run 2013)
Medal record
Representing  Great Britain
Men's athletics
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Olympic Games 2 0 0
World Championships 3 1 0
European Championships 3 1 0
European Indoor Championships 2 0 0
European Cross Country Championships 1 3 1
European Team Championships 1 0 0
European U23 Championships 0 2 0
Total 12 7 1
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2012 London 5000 m
Gold medal – first place 2012 London 10,000 m
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2011 Daegu 5000 m
Gold medal – first place 2013 Moscow 5000 m
Gold medal – first place 2013 Moscow 10,000 m
Silver medal – second place 2011 Daegu 10,000 m
European Championships
Gold medal – first place 2010 Barcelona 5000 m
Gold medal – first place 2010 Barcelona 10,000 m
Gold medal – first place 2012 Helsinki 5000 m
Silver medal – second place 2006 Göteborg 5000 m
European Indoor Championships
Gold medal – first place 2009 Torino 3000 m
Gold medal – first place 2011 Paris 3000 m
European Cross Country Championships
Gold medal – first place 2006 San Giorgio su Legnano Individual
Silver medal – second place 2008 Brussels Individual
Silver medal – second place 2009 Dublin Individual
Silver medal – second place 2009 Dublin Team
Bronze medal – third place 2008 Brussels Team
European Team Championships
Gold medal – first place 2009 Leiria 5000 m
European U23 Championships
Silver medal – second place 2003 Bydgoszcz 5000 m
Silver medal – second place 2005 Erfurt 5000 m

Mohamed "Mo" Farah CBE is a Somali-born British international track and field athlete in the long distance and middle-distance. He is the current 10,000 metres Olympic and World champion and 5000 metres Olympic, World and European champion. On the track, he generally competes over 5000 m and 10,000 m, but also runs the 3000 metres and occasionally the 1500 metres, over which distance Farah is the British and European record holder. He has expressed a desire to move up to the marathon at some point in the future.[5]

Farah holds the European track record for 10,000 m, 1500 m and Two Miles, the British indoor record in the 3000 m, the British track record for 5000 m, the British half-marathon record, and the European indoor record for 5000 m. In July 2010, he won Britain's first-ever men's European gold medal at 10,000 m.[6] Farah followed this with a gold in the 5000 m, becoming the 5th male athlete to complete the long-distance double at the championships and the first British man to do so.[7] At the 2011 World Championships in Athletics, he won silver in the 10,000 m and gold in the 5000 m.[8] He became double Olympic champion at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, taking gold in both the 5000 and 10,000 metres. In 2013, he also won the double at the 14th IAAF World Championships in Moscow, Russia, taking gold in both the 5000 and 10,000 metres, becoming only the second man in history to win a double victory in both the Olympics and World Championships in the distance events.[9]

In addition, Farah competes in cross-country running, where in December 2006 he became European champion in Italy.[10] He also took gold in the 3000 m in both the 2009 and 2011 European Athletics Indoor Championships, in Turin and Paris, respectively.

Farah was originally based in London and ran for Newham and Essex Beagles athletics club, training at St Mary's University College, Twickenham's sports facilities in Strawberry Hill from 2001 to 2011. In 2011, he relocated some of his training sessions to Portland, Oregon, United States, in order to further his training with coach Alberto Salazar.[4] His running style has been described as "bouncy".[11]

Farah has won various accolades for his athletic achievements. In 2011, he was voted European Athlete of the Year,[12] and won the prize again in 2012.[13] Farah was also appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2013 New Year Honours for services to athletics.[14][15] In 2013 he won the British Athletics Writers Association british athlete of the year award for the fifth time, more than any other athlete in history.[16]

Early life and education

Born in Somalia, on 23 March 1983,[17] Farah spent the early years of his childhood in Djibouti with his twin brother.[18] He later moved to Britain at the age of 8 years old to join his father, speaking barely a word of English.[18][19] His father, Mukhtar Farah, is an IT consultant and a British citizen, who was born in London, England and grew up in Hounslow.[20][21] Mo Farah's parents met during a holiday.[21]

Farah attended Feltham Community College in London. His athletic talent was first identified by physical education teacher Alan Watkinson,[22] who later said of Farah: "When I first met him, he was struggling academically and suffering from the language barrier. He needed focus and I sort of took him under my wing. His passion was football but it was his turn of speed on the pitch that showed his real talent." His ambition was to play as a right winger for Arsenal football club. He later joined the Borough of Hounslow Athletics Club in west London.[23]

Junior career

Farah represented Hounslow at cross-country in the London Youth Games.[24] In 1996, at the age of 13, Farah entered the English schools cross-country and finished ninth. The following year he won the first of five English school titles.[22]

Farah's first major title was at 5000 metres at the European Athletics Junior Championship in 2001,[25] the same year that he began training at St Mary's University College, Twickenham. That year Farah became one of the first two athletes in the newly formed Endurance Performance Centre at St Mary’s. He lived and trained at the College, and took some modules in an access course before becoming a full-time athlete as his career progressed.

Senior career

2005–2008: First titles and personal bests

In 2005, Farah moved in with Australian Craig Mottram and a group of Kenyan runners that included 10,000 metres world number one Micah Kogo. "They sleep, eat, train and rest, that's all they do but as an athlete you have to do all those things. Running with Craig made me feel more positive," Farah said. "If I ever want to be as good as these athletes I've got to work harder. I don't just want to be British number one, I want to be up there with the best."[22]

In July 2006, Farah clocked a time of 13 minutes 9.40 seconds for 5000 m to become Britain's second-fastest runner after Dave Moorcroft. A month later Farah collected the silver medal in the European Championship 5000 m in Gothenburg. Coaches Alan Storey and Mark Rowland made sure that Farah remained competitive and a few words from Paula Radcliffe before the 5000 m final inspired Farah. He has stated that: "She said to me, 'Go out and be brave. Just believe in yourself'."[22] In December 2006, Farah won the 2006 European Cross Country Championships in San Giorgio su Legnano, Italy.[10]

Farah represented the UK at 5000 m in the 2007 World Championships in Osaka, Japan. Farah finished sixth in a time of 13:47.54.[26]

In May 2008, Farah ran 10,000 m events, claiming the fastest UK men's time for almost eight years. However, he was knocked out before the 5000m final at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

2009–2010: British records and European champion

In January 2009, Farah set a new British indoor record in the 3000 metres, breaking John Mayock's record with a time of 7 minutes 40.99 seconds in Glasgow.[27] A few weeks later he broke his own record by more than six seconds with a time of 7 minutes 34.47 at the UK Indoor Grand Prix in Birmingham,[28] a performance which commentator Steve Cram called "the best performance by a male British distance runner for a generation".[29] Farah attributed his good form to a spell of winter training at altitude in Ethiopia and Kenya.[30] In March 2009 he took gold in the 3000 m at the European Indoor Championships in Turin, recording a time of 7 minutes 40.17.[31]

Farah competed at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics: he was in the leading pack early on in the 5000 metres race and eventually finished seventh – the best by a European runner. After the championships, he scored a victory in his first road competition over 10 miles, winning the Great South Run in 46:25 to become the third fastest Briton in spite of strong winds.[32]

Farah was one of the favourites to upset Serhiy Lebid's dominance at the 2009 European Cross Country Championships.[33] However, Lebid was never in contention as Farah and Alemayehu Bezabeh were some distance ahead throughout the run. Farah was overtaken by Bezabeh in the latter stages of the race, leaving the Briton with a second consecutive silver medal at the competition.[34] He did not manage to attend the medal ceremony, however, as he collapsed immediately after the race and needed medical attention.[35] After a close third place behind Edwin Soi at the BOclassic,[36] Farah competed in the short course race at the Great Edinburgh Cross Country. He was the favourite to win and surged ahead to build a comfortable lead. However, he appeared tired in the latter stages and finished third behind British runners Ricky Stevenson and Steve Vernon. Farah again required post-race medical attention and subsequent tests revealed he had low levels of iron and magnesium. He was prescribed supplements for the condition and his high altitude training plans in Kenya were unaffected.[37]

Farah celebrating winning the 10,000 m at the 2010 European Athletics Championships

Farah won the 2010 London 10,000 in late May in a time of 27:44, in the process beating 10K world record holder Micah Kogo.[38] His success continued the following week at the European Cup 10,000 m. There, he improved his track best by nearly 16 seconds, finishing in a time of 27:28.86. Farah won by a margin of over forty seconds ahead of second placed Abdellatif Meftah.[39] After training in Africa, he returned to Europe for the 2010 European Athletics Championships. He took the 10,000 metres gold medal, overtaking Ayad Lamdassem with two laps to go and finishing the race unpressured in a time of 28:24.99. This was Farah's first major title and also the first European gold medal in the event for Great Britain.[40] He then went on to win the 5000 m from Jesus Espana, becoming only the fifth man in the 66-year history of the European Championships to achieve the 5000 m/10,000 m double, and the first for 20 years, following in the footsteps of the Czech Emil Zatopek in 1950, Zdzislaw Krzyszkowiak of Poland in 1958, Finland’s Juha Vaatainen in 1971 and Salvatore Antibo, of Italy, in 1990.[7][41]

On 19 August 2010, at a Diamond League meeting in Zürich, Farah ran 5000 m in 12:57.94, breaking David Moorcroft's long-standing British record and becoming the first ever British athlete to run under 13 minutes.[42]

In December 2010, Farah was named track-and-field athlete of the year by the British Olympic Association.[43] He closed the year at the BOclassic and just missed out on the 10 kilometre title, losing to Imane Merga in a sprint finish by 0.2 seconds.[44]

2011: European and British records, and world medals

The post box on London Road, Isleworth, painted in honour of Farah as part of a scheme to celebrate Britain's 2012 Olympic gold medal winners

2011 was a successful year for Farah, beginning on 8 January at the Edinburgh Cross Country, where he defeated the top four finishers of that year's European Championships to take victory in the long race.[45]

In February 2011, Farah announced that he would be relocating to Portland, Oregon, US, to work with new coach Alberto Salazar. On 19 February 2011 in Birmingham, England, Farah broke the European 5000 m indoor record with a time of 13:10.60, at the same time taking ten seconds off the 29-year-old British indoor record of Nick Rose.[46] On 5 March 2011, he won gold in the 3000 metres at the European Indoor Championships. On 20 March, Farah also won the NYC Half Marathon in a time of 1:00:23, a new British record.[47][48] He and training partner Galen Rupp had originally planned on running a 10,000 m race in New Zealand. However, after the race was cancelled due to the Christchurch earthquake and damage done to the track, they entered the half-marathon in New York.

On 3 June 2011, at a Diamond League meeting in Eugene, Oregon, Farah won the Prefontaine Classic 10,000 m in 26:46.57, setting a new British and European record.[49] On 22 July 2011, at a Diamond League meeting in Monaco, he set a new British national record in the 5000 m with a time of 12:53.11.[50] Farah edged out American Bernard Lagat to win the race.[50]

In the 2011 World Championships in Athletics in Daegu, South Korea, Farah made a major breakthrough on the world stage by taking the silver medal in the 10,000 m and then the gold in the 5000 m.[51] He became the first British man to win a global title over either distance.[52] Farah had in fact been more strongly favored to take the 10,000 m title, but was narrowly beaten in a last lap sprint by Ethiopian Ibrahim Jeilan. In the 5000 m, he overcame Lagat, beating him into second place. Following the race, Dave Moorcroft, former 5000 metres world record holder, hailed Farah as "the greatest male distance runner that Britain has ever seen".[53]

2012: Double Olympic champion

Farah on the way to his first Olympic gold medal during the 10,000 m event at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

At the London 2012 Olympics, on 4 August, Farah won the 10,000 m gold in a time of 27:30.42. This was Great Britain's first Olympic gold medal in the 10,000 m, and came after two other gold medals for the country in the same athletics session.[54][55] His training partner, Galen Rupp of the United States, took second place. Both runners are coached by Alberto Salazar. Farah stated that he would observe his Ramadan fast later in the year.[56] On 11 August 2012, Farah made it a long-distance double, winning the 5000 metres in a time of 13:41.66.[57] He dedicated the two golds to his twin daughters.

On 23 August 2012, Farah returned to the track at a Diamond League meet in Birmingham, where he capped off a winning season with another victory over a distance of two miles (3.2 km).[58]

2013: 1500 m record and world medals

Farah during the 2013 World Championships in Athletics in Moscow.

On 19 July 2013, at the Herculis meeting in Monaco, Farah broke the European 1500 m record with a time of 3:28.81. The feat rendered him the sixth fastest man ever over the distance, overtaking Steve Cram's 28-year-old British record, and Fermín Cacho's 16 year old European record.[59] It also made Farah the seventh man, behind Saïd Aouita, Daniel Komen, Ali Saïdi-Sief, Hicham El Gerrouj, Augustine Kiprono Choge and Bernard Lagat to break both the 3:30 barrier in the 1500 metres and the 13-minute barrier in the 5000 metres.

The following month, Farah won the London Diamond League Anniversary Games' 3000 metres event in a time of seven minutes and 36.85 seconds.[60] He twice broke the national record in the half-marathon, first on 24 February in New Orleans, then broke his own record on 15 September in the Bupa Great North run.

On 10 August 2013, Farah held off a run by Ibrahim Jeilan to win the 10,000 m event at the World Championships in Moscow. The victory was his fourth global title.[61] On 16 August 2013, Farah won the 5,000 m event, in the process becoming double world and Olympic champion.[62] After this victory, BBC commentator Brendan Foster called Farah 'Britain's greatest ever athlete'. He was a finalist for the 2013 IAAF World Athlete of the year award.

"Mobot" signature pose

Mo Farah doing his "Mobot" signature pose at the London Anniversary Games, July 2013.

Farah is noted for his unique victory celebration dance known as the "Mobot". He adopted the move following a television appearance in May 2012 opposite sports presenter Clare Balding on the panel game show A League of Their Own. The host James Corden suggested to the panelists that they should think of a new dance to mark Farah's winning celebration, and Balding subsequently came up with the "M" gesture called "Mobot". While demonstrating it for the first time, she indicated that the part of the move intended to represent the "M" in "Mo" was inspired by the dance to "Y.M.C.A.", a popular song by the Village People. Corden himself then named it as the "Mobot".[63] A robot was named "Mobot" at a university research exhibition, in honour of Farah's celebration.[64] Farah has since used the pose as part of a charity to raise funds for his foundation.[citation needed] Virgin Media has promised to donate £2 for every Youtube video that is uploaded with someone doing the mobot.[65]

Personal life

Family and interests

In April 2010, Farah married his longtime girlfriend Tania Nell in Richmond, London. Other athletes at the wedding included Paula Radcliffe, Steve Cram, Hayley Yelling, Jo Pavey, Mustafa Mohamed and Scott Overall, who was an usher.[66][67] Farah has a stepdaughter Rihanna from this relationship.[68][69] He and his wife have twin daughters Aisha and Amani born in August 2012.[70]

Farah is a devout Muslim,[71] and is an active supporter of the Muslim Writers Awards.[72] Islam is an important part of his preparation: "I normally pray before a race, I read dua [Islamic prayers or invocations], think about how hard I've worked and just go for it." He notes that the Qur'an says "that you must work hard in whatever you do, so I work hard in training and that's got a lot to do with being successful. [It] doesn't just come overnight, you've got to train for it and believe in yourself; that's the most important thing."[73] An RISSC publication named Mo Farah as among the 500 most influential Muslims in the world in 2013.[74]

Farah is also a fan of Arsenal F.C..[75] In October 2013, he launched a book titled Mo Farah, Twin Ambitions: My autobiography in Canary Wharf, London.[76]

In addition, Farah has a large following on social media. This includes roughly 1 million followers on Twitter and 300,000 on Facebook. In 2013, he was the top-ranked query for a sportsperson on the search engine Microsoft UK Bing who was not a footballer.[77]

Philanthropy

Farah at the 2010 London Youth Games Hall of Fame and Awards Evening.

Farah is additionally involved in various philanthropic initiatives, launching the Mo Farah Foundation after a trip to Somalia in 2011.[78] The following year, he participated in ITV's The Cube and won £250,000 for his foundation, becoming the first person ever to beat The Cube.[79] Along with other high profile athletes, Farah later took part in the 2012 Olympic hunger summit.[80] Olympic memorabilia featuring and signed by Farah has also been auctioned off to raise funds for the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG).[81] In 2013, he likewise joined legislators and activists in a campaign urging Barclays Bank to repeal its decision to withdraw from the UK remittance market. Farah often used the money transfer operators to send remittances to family, and some of the world's largest organizations and charities, including the UN and his own foundation, likewise paid staff and channeled funds through these services.[82]

Endorsements, advertising and sponsorships

Farah has endorsement deals with a number of companies, including PACE Sports Management, Nike, Lucozade, Bupa and Virgin Media.[78] He is expected to earn more than £2 million in advertising and sponsorship after having won gold medals in the 10,000 m and 5000 m at the 2012 Olympic Games. According to the brand consultants BrandRapport, Farah would still have made large sums of money even if he had not managed a second gold medal. The success of the UK team in general at the London Olympics and the enthusiasm surrounding the event has reportedly paved the way for future endorsement deals that dwarf those previously offered to British Olympic athletes.[83]

Controversies

In 2012-2013, Farah intimated that he had been stopped a number of times by U.S. Customs officials under suspicion of being a terrorist, a fact which he attributed to confusion between his full name "Mohamed" and a computerized check-in process.[84] On one occasion after the 2012 Olympics, he asserted that he had attempted to prove his identity by showing his Olympic gold medals to customs officials, but that this was not accepted.[85]

Farah was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2013 New Year Honours for services to athletics.[14][15] The move was met with anger by many in the general public, including erstwhile Minister of Sports Gerry Sutcliffe, who felt that he deserved a higher accolade.[86][87] Farah's former physical education teacher Alan Watkinson similarly indicated that he was disappointed that Farah was not knighted and that the decision "discredits the system ­although it's still a fantastic achievement for Mo and well ­deserved."[87] Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg cited Farah's Olympic double gold win in his 2013 New Year's message and 2012 Autumn conference.[88][89]

Awards and honours

Athletics

  • 2006 British Athletics Writers' Association Award[90]
  • 2010 British Athletics Writers' Association Award[72]
  • 2010 Best Senior Athlete of 2010 (UK Aviva Athletics Awards)[91]
  • 2010 London Youth Games Hall of Fame[92]
  • 2011 British Athletics Writers' Association Award[72]
  • 2011 European Athlete of the Year[72]
  • 2011 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award, 3rd place
  • 2011 Athletics Weekly International Male Athlete
  • 2012 British Athletics Writers' Association Award[93]
  • 2012 European Athlete of the Year
  • 2012 Laureus World Sports Award for Breakthrough of the Year, nominee
  • 2012 Athletics Weekly International Male Athlete
  • 2013 IAAF World Athlete of the Year, finalist
  • 2013 British Athletics Writers' Association Award[94]
  • 2013 Athletics Weekly International Male Athlete[95]

Other

  • 2013 Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE)[15]
  • 2013 Premier Inn Celebrity Dad of The Year[96]

Achievements

Event Distance Placing Medal
2005 European Indoor Athletics Championships 3000 m 6th None
2006 European Cross Country Championships 10,000 m 1st Gold medal[10]
2006 European Cross Country Championships Men's team 4th None
2006 European Championships in Athletics 5000 m 2nd Silver medal
2006 Commonwealth Games 5000 m 9th None
2007 World Championships in Athletics 5000 m 6th None
2008 World Indoor Championships 3000 m 6th None
2008 European Cross Country Championships 10,000 m 2nd Silver medal
2008 European Cross Country Championships Men's team 3rd Bronze medal
2009 European Indoor Athletics Championships 3000 m 1st Gold medal
2009 World Championships in Athletics 5000 m 7th None
2009 European Cross Country Championships 10,000 m 2nd Silver medal
2009 European Cross Country Championships Men's team 2nd Silver medal
2010 European Athletics Championships 10,000 m 1st Gold medal
2010 European Athletics Championships 5000 m 1st Gold medal
2011 European Athletics Indoor Championships 3000 m 1st Gold medal
2011 World Championships in Athletics 10,000 m 2nd Silver medal
2011 World Championships in Athletics 5000 m 1st Gold medal
2012 World Indoor Championships 3000 m 4th None
2012 European Athletics Championships 5000 m 1st Gold medal
2012 Olympic Games 10,000 m 1st Gold medal
2012 Olympic Games 5000 m 1st Gold medal
2013 World Championships in Athletics 10,000 m 1st Gold medal
2013 World Championships in Athletics 5000 m 1st Gold medal

Personal bests

Surface Event Time Date Place
Outdoor Track 800 m 1:48.69 3 August 2003 Eton
1500 m 3:28.81 ER 19 July 2013 Monaco
One mile 3:56.49 6 August 2005 London
2000 m 5:06.34 9 March 2006 Melbourne
3000 m 7:36.86 27 July 2013 London
Two miles 8:20.47 3 August 2007 London
5000 m 12:53.11 NR 22 July 2011 Monaco
10,000 m 26:46.57 ER 3 June 2011 Eugene
Indoor Track 1500 m 3:39.03 28 January 2012 Glasgow
One mile 3:57.92 4 February 2012 Boston
3000 m 7:34.47 NR 21 February 2009 Birmingham
Two miles 8:08.07 NR 18 February 2012 Birmingham[97]
5000 m 13:10.60 ER 19 February 2011 Birmingham
Road 10 km 27:44 31 May 2010 London
15 km 43:13+ 25 October 2009 Portsmouth
10 miles 46:25 25 October 2009 Portsmouth
Half marathon 1:00:10 NR 15 September 2013 Bupa Great North Run

+ intermediate split in longer race.

See also

References

  1. ^ "About Mo Farah". Retrieved 5 August 2012.
  2. ^ "Athletes". iaaf.org. Retrieved 29 August 2011.
  3. ^ 3 days ago. "Mo Farah". Team GB. Retrieved 16 August 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ a b "BBC Sport - Athletics - Mo Farah changes coach to assist Olympic preparation". BBC News. 18 February 2011. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
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