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Mo Farah’s ripple effect spreads golden ambitions

Mo Farah’s ripple effect spreads golden ambitions thumbnail

LONDON (Somalilandpress) — Sitting down reflecting on their achievements in Barcelona’s Olympic stadium the night before, Mo Farah and Chris Thompson could still not quite believe it. Farah, Britain’s first European gold medallist in the 10,000m, is a huge Arsenal fan and news filtered through that a congratulatory message from the club was winging its way to him.

“A message from Arsenal?” Farah said, his eyes popping. “No way! The two most prized possessions in my house are an Arsenal shirt signed by all the players, which means a lot to me, and also my gold medal from the European indoors in Turin, which I have framed.”

Arsenal are not the only big names to get in touch. Last night Paula Radcliffe rang to offer her congratulations and there is a wave of excitement running through the old guard of British greats Brendan Foster and Sebastian Coe.

Farah will have to make room for one more gong on his sitting room wall and perhaps after the disappointments he has faced in his career – twice collapsing at cross-country events in the winter – this gold will mean the most.

“It hasn’t been easy, year in, year out,” said Farah, who won his first junior title at the Europeans in 2001. “In Beijing I had a lot of doubts when I didn’t make the final. Then to come back again – as an athlete you go through a lot of injuries and a lot of ups and downs.”

Farah looked past the rows of press to his wife, Nell, and five-year-old daughter, Rihanna, and thanked them for their support. “To let me go up in the mountains [altitude training] for five and six weeks. For her [Nell] to let me deal with the problems, whatever they are, when I get home; just let me get on with it. And for her not to despair…” he said. “Last night when I crossed that line it was that feeling I had. I can’t describe it.”

A grounded man, he has retained a strong friendship with the PE teacher who encouraged him to swap football for athletics and helped with visas when Farah arrived as a refugee from Somalia in 1993, and the 27-year-old is not one to forget his roots. On Tuesday night, as he jumped around on the Barcelona track, delirious in celebration, someone in the crowd threw him a Somaliland flag.

“It’s a part of Somalia now trying to be recognised as a republic,” said Farah, who left the country behind as he tried to build a new life in the UK. “They’ve just got a new government. I was chucked the flag and I thought: ‘Yeah, OK.’ There’s a lot of people in the UK from Somalia who’ve followed me.”

Mo Farah crosses the line with outstretched arms after winning gold at the European Championships. Photograph: Gustau Nacarino/Reuters

As Farah paid tribute to those who have helped him along the way, Thompson, the 29-year-old silver medallist who has been plagued with injury for most of his senior career, also gave thanks. “If there wasn’t a Mo during my struggling period, I may not have been where I am today,” he said. “It has a ripple effect. It just takes one or two people to start pushing those boundaries and people think ‘wow’.

“I do think that what happened yesterday will have an effect on the distance-running community and show that sometimes it’s just a matter of believing. With five laps to go, everything was telling me I wasn’t going to come second until eventually I crossed the line, and that came from all those hard times when you had to tell yourself you can do it.”

That same belief will be needed for both athletes to push on and truly attack on the world stage. For all that Farah has achieved, winning a European indoor title and the European cross-country championships, he has it all to do at a global level. “I believe I can,” he said. “I finished sixth in the world indoors, sixth in the outdoor [world championships in Osaka in 2007]. I am there or thereabouts. Last year I was a second outside a medal [at the Berlin world championships]. If I keep working hard I believe my time will come. I’ve got to mix it with these guys. This is what I have to do.

“Now 2012 is just round the corner. We can build on this year, go to the worlds, get to 2012, and then from there, who knows? We have to keep on what we’re doing.” That starts with the 5,000m heats tomorrow evening and leads, hopefully, to another chance for both athletes to double their glory in the final on Saturday night.

Photo: Mo Farah, right, and Chris Thompson show off the gold and silver medals they won in the 10,000m in Barcelona (John Giles/PA)

Source: The Guardian | Thursday, 29 July 2010



Published by: Qalinle Hussein

20 Comments on "Mo Farah’s ripple effect spreads golden ambitions"

  1. Jay on Thu, 29th Jul 2010 1:59 am 

    Congratulations Mohamed Farah, Somaliland and UK are both proud of you. Gabiley is proud of you! Hargeisa is home and next time wave that flag because UK knows Somaliland and doesnt mind you acknowledging your roots and the democratic state of Somaliland.

    Let the world know your not a pirate or a warlord from Somalia.

  2. Halyey Layaqaan on Thu, 29th Jul 2010 6:45 am 

    congratulation Mr Mohamed Farah and thank you very m,uch for raising the great Somaliland flag on this very important occasion of the Eropean Athletics in Barcalona Spain. You are certainly one of the great sons of the patriotic nation of Isaaq, and a hard working Somalilander, who earned this golden award the very hard way.

  3. roda on Thu, 29th Jul 2010 9:36 am 

    many congratulations mohamed farah the fact that you are married to a foreingner is ok as long as you play your role as a proper muslim wise and responsible husband and father who rase his family as a muslim family. i have never met a woman who rejected her husband being committed to islam because when u really practising islam correctly u r all mercy and ur family r special and lucky enough. my Allah guide us all amiiiiin.

  4. Superxamer on Thu, 29th Jul 2010 10:26 am 

    if i am not mistaking mo farah is born in xamer and has nothing to do with somaliland somebody just trow him that flag he should burned that worhtless piece of flag

  5. rashid on Thu, 29th Jul 2010 10:45 am 

    superxamer tell me whats so super about you morean, i wount come down to your level.. MO FARAH well done and keep on smiling

  6. Mo Pharah on Thu, 29th Jul 2010 8:25 am 

    That somali-land flag disgussted me the other day.. Blue flag anyday…

  7. somalilander1 on Thu, 29th Jul 2010 2:43 pm 

    i too was born outside Somaliland and have not been there yet but my heart belongs 100% to my land SOMALILAND where my roots are and each time i see its flag my heart rejoices.you are just jealous and enviouse because you have neither land nor a flag to be proud of,your piracy and trouble making is at an end.

  8. hassan on Thu, 29th Jul 2010 3:15 pm 

    viva somaliland….well done rerr gabilley

  9. Kayse on Thu, 29th Jul 2010 6:00 pm 

    He has been to Somaliland many times. Didnt you see him in Gabiley? google mo farah, gabiley

  10. Halyey Layaqaan on Thu, 29th Jul 2010 6:22 pm 

    no body has the right to talk here about the private live of the great sprinter of Somaliand Mohamed farah. He is entitled to privacy. And if any one insist on that he or she can be held accountable. Donot be mistaken, we can trace your email to the very spot you sent it from, even if you sent your comment from a public place. Security cameras are capable of revealing your identity. Please donot insist on committing offence by violating the privacey of our great sprinter.

  11. Gobaad on Thu, 29th Jul 2010 6:23 pm 

    Worthless for you maybe, low life! For us, it is our pride and joy. What is best than the message " In God We Trust."

    We encourage Mr. Farah quest and achievements whether he hails from the North or South. Unlike you, we don't envy young people who are achievers, work hard and make a name for themselves. Congratulation, Mohamed. More of the same in the future.

  12. runsheeg on Thu, 29th Jul 2010 8:23 pm 

    Do not poison your tribal venoms with this young accomplished athlete. He was born and raised in Mogadishu, fled to Djibouti, then Great Britain.

    He is Somali, no matter what his clan background is.

    Please keep these healthy young men out of your tribal disease. Look where once feared Somali race is today because of tribalism! Shame.

  13. Gobaad on Thu, 29th Jul 2010 8:57 pm 

    Who is talking about qabiil except you, moron! We don't care where he is from. He is a Somali young who is doing something for himself. So, swallow your venom and choke on it!

  14. Faisel.A.Warsama on Thu, 29th Jul 2010 10:01 pm 

    Absolutely – Stunning Performance and well Said Jay

    Let me share with you that in that in 27 July it was when the 4th President of Somaliland took the Oath and began a New Era of Leadership – it's a time that we proved that we're unique not only from Somalia but also the mighty AFRICA – it's a time that we were happy but also remembering our Journey and our Sucess Story that we started from ZERO and the only reward we got from the World was a SILENCE – but in the midst of those emotional moments I happen to watch the TV there I see this Proud British-Somaliland Champ wining the Gold Medal in his 10.000 – BRAVO MO Farah

  15. somalilander1 on Thu, 29th Jul 2010 10:11 pm 

    bensheeg,for your information Somaliland is a nation and not a clan,do you read online of somalilanders killing one another on clan lines? no,because that only happens in somalia and does somaliland support piracy? no only "buttland"does that so don't come here talking about clanism tell that to your moryaan people.

  16. A.A on Thu, 29th Jul 2010 10:17 pm 

    I like the way you wrote and reponded to SSC ppl. Runti they can't even write Somali and that is why they all got mad . Come back to Boocane

  17. Kayse on Thu, 29th Jul 2010 10:20 pm 

    Ruunsheeg aka widhwidh refugee, always claims something he aint, i'm not surprised he wants to claim Mohamed Farah from Gabiley. Weirdo! waxa la sheegta wax ku rabaa.

    Mo Farah is regular visitor and supporter of Sland.

  18. kid on Sun, 1st Aug 2010 11:55 am 

    Have you heard of the deportation of Somalis in Somaliland at the 80's?

    That alone is one of the reasons Somaliland does not want to be part of Somalia. superxamer, your online name shoul be called xamer's gone.

  19. Ms Somaliland on Mon, 2nd Aug 2010 3:16 pm 

    Those people who are arguing over Mo Farah’s identity are nothing but a bunch of retards. Have you not seen him waving Somaliland and British flags? Did that not say all for you? He made the biggest and boldest statement a man can make; British-Somaliland. END OFF! I was born in Saudi Arabia and raised in UK but I am a Somalilander with British citizenship too. I am proud of it just like Mo. GET IT?

  20. jama on Mon, 16th Aug 2010 9:30 pm 

    last time he was waving the blue flag n now he waved non existing flag wat a shame u should be like knaan mate i feel sorry for u





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