Sprinting towards the finish line with long strides, hands in a heart shape above your head, drying off your opponents once more. This is how track and field fans have fond memories of Sir Mo Farah (39). It was his trademark, a sign of his insane dominance. Four Olympic victories (two over 10,000 meters and two over 5,000 meters) and six world championship titles speak for the Briton.
But the glory of bygone days has faded. The sporting present is dreary. On Monday, the long-distance runner in London lost over 10,000 meters to amateur runner Ellis Cross (25) by four seconds. With a time of 28 minutes and 44 seconds, the Briton is about a minute slower than at his best times – worrying.
First bust against an amateur in ages
Farah looks resigned after the bad gossip: “As far as athletics go, I think it was. It must be at least 20 years since I was beaten by a club runner.” An exit through the back door. Indeed? Farah thinks for a moment and then adds: “I will miss the World Cup in July, but participation in the Commonwealth Games or the European Championships in August is not entirely out of the question.” His wife, among other things, will determine what his future plans will look like, as the Briton confirmed.
Scottish record for women
One explanation for the embarrassing performance on Monday could be two injuries that had hindered Farah beforehand. On the one hand he suffered a stress fracture in his foot and on the other hand he pulled a muscle in the winter that prevented him from walking for three months. Winner Ellis Cross doesn’t care, he can’t believe his luck: “To be honest, I’m still pinching myself,” he said. “I just beat what is probably the greatest runner of all time on the streets of London in front of a huge crowd. It’s incredible. I did not expect that.”
In the women’s, Eilish McColgan was just two seconds away from breaking Paula Radcliffe’s 19-year-old European and British records. Her time of 30 minutes and 23 seconds was a Scottish record. (nab)