Four-time Olympic gold medallist Mo Farah has been given a lifeline to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics after the organizers at the British Athletics’ Championship arranged an invitational 10,000m race in Manchester on June 25.
A winner of 5,000m and 10,000m gold medals at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, Mo Farah finished outside qualifying time at the UK trials in Birmingham last week. Mo Farah finished 22 seconds higher than qualifying time of 27.28:00s in the10k event.
The 38-year-old had given up his chances of qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics. But the move by UK Athletics comes as a ray of hope for the legendary runner to make a final shot at the Tokyo flight. Mo Farah blamed an ankle injury for his poor showing at the UK trials.
Considering his age, Mo Farah is driven by his passion for running and the mental confidence he possesses. Farah will race on the opening day of the British Athletics Championships and will be given a team of pacemakers and an international field.
"I am four-time Olympic champion but that doesn’t mean nothing. You’ve got to go out there each race and mix it with the best and give yourself a chance,” said Mo Farah after the UK trials. “I’ve been carrying a niggle since I came back from training. It is frustrating because I have done a lot of good work in Flagstaff."
Meanwhile, Mo Farah has also kept himself in the Tokyo Olympics mood by supporting a local Gloucestershire business and signing postcards and posing for pictures for ‘Bring a Book to Life’. The postcards and pictures will be included in its Olympic Dreams themed book subscription box next month.
Initially set up during lockdown last year, ‘Bring a Book to Life’ is aimed at helping children read for pleasure. They will receive a personalized box, a book, letters and signatures from authors and gift items in the box which will recognize the importance of the Olympic Games.