Mo Farah

lawros left foot · Aug 23, 2016

With regard to World records as opposed to Olympic golds, one of the greats(I can't remember which) was asked if he preferred a gold over a record, he said definitely a good, his record could be beaten the next day, where as a gold stays on the books forever

Herr Tubthumper · Aug 23, 2016

Uncle Spielberg said:
Yes

Middle and long distance road racing world records rarely get broken when there's a strong field due to the need to lead from the front for all of the race. No one wanting to win and in a truly competitive race will do this as there will be a queue of runners in your slip-stream conserving energy and waiting to pounce. medals and records are slightly different things imho.

alfredmizen · Aug 23, 2016

TWOCHOICEStom said:
You didn't answer my earlier question. What would make Mo be as british as you in your eyes? What's the most important factor here?

- Where he was born?
- Where he grew up?
- When he moved here? 8,10,13?
- When he started living like an englishman?
- Where his grandparents are from?

To me, if a person identifies with this country, is legally British and proud to wrap that flag around them, they're as British as you and I will ever be. It's not up to ME to say how British someone is. It's up to them. It's their life.

Nothing, he was born abroad , didnt move here till he was 8 , has one foreign parent , 4 foreign grandparents.

carlzeiss · Aug 23, 2016

alfredmizen said:
Nothing, he was born abroad , didnt move here till he was 8 , has one foreign parent , 4 foreign grandparents.

So do you accept this individual as British ?

Uncle Spielberg · Aug 23, 2016

alfredmizen said:
leave off US , half the time world records are broken under very artificial conditions , with special pacemakers etc ,consistently winning races is what matters.

Just my opinion, the 10000 metres he just won was over 1 minute slower than the World Record, has he really been challenged ? If you look at all the medals the times were woeful, that 10000 metres time a lot of decent club runners would have done. The problem is the athletes he runs against for some reason always play into his hands by allowing a very slow race and if he is there with 1 lap to go he will win every time with a 52 second last lap

TWOCHOICEStom · Aug 23, 2016

alfredmizen said:
Nothing, he was born abroad , didnt move here till he was 8 , has one foreign parent , 4 foreign grandparents.

Fair enough, I guess that's how you see being British. Which is totally up to you.

I think of it like this. If you were told tomorrow that your life is a lie. You were born in Russia and were moved here when you were 3 (but you can't remember a damn thing before that age) would that make you less British? No, is the answer. It doesn't affect you at all because you are your own person. Heritage doesn't make a jot of difference.

The age thing is interesting though. If he'd have moved when he was 3, 2, 15, 25. Where does it no longer make any difference? It's impossible to draw a line.

Bottom line is that I strongly believe genetics, heritage and where you popped out of the womb makes no difference at all to where you should feel you belong. Upbringing, life experience and values matter. Nothing else.

alfredmizen · Aug 23, 2016

carlzeiss said:
So do you accept this individual as British ?

deep down, if im being honest ? No, do you ?

Goldstone1976 · Aug 23, 2016

Uncle Spielberg said:
Just my opinion, the 10000 metres he just won was over 1 minute slower than the World Record, has he really been challenged ? If you look at all the medals the times were woeful, that 10000 metres time a lot of decent club runners would have done. The problem is the athletes he runs against for some reason always play into his hands by allowing a very slow race and if he is there with 1 lap to go he will win every time with a 52 second last lap

And Mo's fastest 10,000m time is 30 seconds faster than the time he ran in the Rio final. Viren in '72 (Munich Olympics) is the only person to set a 10,000m world record at a major championships. It is incredibly rare for a WR to be set at a major championships at middle or long distance - as an aside, this is what made Rushida's 800m record set in London so utterly remarkable.

Mo holds national and continental records at just about every distance between 1500m (faster than Coe, Ovett and Cram) and the half marathon - set on the track and on the road. He also holds one WR. He is unbelievably quick when he wants/needs to be. Would his reputation be enhanced if he were the world record holder for 5000m and 10,000m as well all his other achievements and records? Yep, for sure. Likewise, his reputation would be enhanced if he was additionally Olympic gold medallist at 100m, pole vault and decathlon too.

The guy is an utter legend.

Herr Tubthumper · Aug 23, 2016

Uncle Spielberg said:
Just my opinion, the 10000 metres he just won was over 1 minute slower than the World Record, has he really been challenged ? If you look at all the medals the times were woeful, that 10000 metres time a lot of decent club runners would have done. The problem is the athletes he runs against for some reason always play into his hands by allowing a very slow race and if he is there with 1 lap to go he will win every time with a 52 second last lap

I have explained why races seem slow in a strong field; no one will want to lead all the way for the reason I gave. It's a big race tactic. You'd be utterly daft to do this as you will just help out your rivals.

Gregory2Smith1 · Aug 23, 2016

I'd put Mo down as British,8 years old is very young

plus he learn't his trade in London

Chris Froome and even Lennox Lewis who was actually born in England I don't

Zola Budd on the other hand :lol:

sydney · Aug 23, 2016

Gregory2 said:
I'd put Mo down as British,8 years old is very young

plus he learn't his trade in London

Chris Froome and even Lennox Lewis who was actually born in England I don't

Zola Budd on the other hand

zola budds parents were probably sold a dummy by the british govt.......go and live in zimbabwe , on us....oh whats that your money's worth more than ours ....time to run along ...there's good chaps..

Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo · Aug 23, 2016

Uncle Spielberg said:
Just my opinion, the 10000 metres he just won was over 1 minute slower than the World Record, has he really been challenged ? If you look at all the medals the times were woeful, that 10000 metres time a lot of decent club runners would have done. The problem is the athletes he runs against for some reason always play into his hands by allowing a very slow race and if he is there with 1 lap to go he will win every time with a 52 second last lap

You are talking absolute nonsense. As others have pointed out long distance world records rarely get beaten at major championships, if ever, because of the need for a pace maker whose's job is simply to keep the race going at the required pace to allow someone else to break the record. No-one would be playing that role in a major championships and sacrifice a chance at a medal. When a long distance world record is broken it's because a serious attempt at breaking it was organised.

Farah was 4 seconds off the Olympic record in the 10k final. He was 6 seconds behind the Olympic record for the 5k.

The fastest time for 10,000 meters outdoors this year is 26:51, Farah has the second fastest time at 26:53 still 40 seconds off of a world record. Only twice since the 10k record was set in 2005 has anyone posted a time within 30 seconds of that record.

If you are seriously suggesting there are club runners capable of running near those times, consistently, i'd suggest they need to take up the sport at a higher level.

alfredmizen · Aug 23, 2016

Gregory2 said:
I'd put Mo down as British,8 years old is very young

plus he learn't his trade in London

Chris Froome and even Lennox Lewis who was actually born in England I don't

Zola Budd on the other hand

so would i , but to claim he 'just as british as any of us' is preposterous imo.

sydney · Aug 23, 2016

alfredmizen said:
so would i , but to claim he 'just as british as any of us' is preposterous imo.

he's a winner ....model citizen ....we'll take him.....!!

Diablo · Aug 23, 2016

alfredmizen said:
so would i , but to claim he 'just as british as any of us' is preposterous imo.

Mohamed Muktar Jama Farah.....Sounds like a good British name to me and when you see pictures of him it confirms the point most are making

BigGully · Aug 23, 2016

Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo said:
You are talking absolute nonsense. As others have pointed out long distance world records rarely get beaten at major championships, if ever, because of the need for a pace maker whose's job is simply to keep the race going at the required pace to allow someone else to break the record. No-one would be playing that role in a major championships and sacrifice a chance at a medal. When a long distance world record is broken it's because a serious attempt at breaking it was organised.

Farah was 4 seconds off the Olympic record in the 10k final. He was 6 seconds behind the Olympic record for the 5k.

The fastest time for 10,000 meters outdoors this year is 26:51, Farah has the second fastest time at 26:53 still 40 seconds off of a world record. Only twice since the 10k record was set in 2005 has anyone posted a time within 30 seconds of that record.

If you are seriously suggesting there are club runners capable of running near those times, consistently, i'd suggest they need to take up the sport at a higher level.

Well it seems Haile Gebrselassie doesn't agree with you ......

Asked if Farah's achievements make him the greatest, Gebrselassie said: "I believe he's very good, I didn't do what he did, but he hasn't done one thing that I did.

"One thing he needs to do between the 5,000m and the 10,000m is to break the world record.

"He has won everything, he did all that. But he needs to beat the time."

http://news.sky.com/story/x-10544177

Triggaaar · Aug 23, 2016

Tyrone Biggums said:
DNA has proven that as nothing more than a story, a myth, now being told as a fact.

So you have conclusive evidence that the Out of Africa theory is a myth, and not true?

No of course you don't

Goldstone1976 · Aug 23, 2016

BigGully said:
Well it seems Haile Gebrselassie doesn't agree with you ......

Asked if Farah's achievements make him the greatest, Gebrselassie said: "I believe he's very good, I didn't do what he did, but he hasn't done one thing that I did.

"One thing he needs to do between the 5,000m and the 10,000m is to break the world record.

"He has won everything, he did all that. But he needs to beat the time."

http://news.sky.com/story/x-10544177

An interesting choice of comparison. I'd make the argument that Gebrselassie and Farah are roughly equal - both at the very top of the tree, with fewer than a handful of additional real competitors for the title of all-time greatest distance runner.

Farah beats him hands down in terms of major titles: 4 Olympic golds and 5 (so far) World golds plays 2 and 4 respectively. Gebrselassie beats Mo on WR though.

However, my real point is that, when we are comparing these two athletes, it is like comparing Pele, Messi, Moore, Beckenbauer etc for the title of all time best footballer. Mo is, imo and by any reasonable empirical analysis of the facts, in that sort of league. As is Gebrselassie.

Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo · Aug 23, 2016

BigGully said:
Well it seems Haile Gebrselassie doesn't agree with you ......

Asked if Farah's achievements make him the greatest, Gebrselassie said: "I believe he's very good, I didn't do what he did, but he hasn't done one thing that I did.

Did I say he was the greatest? Did anyone? It's nonsense to cross off his achievements and not consider him as an all time great though because he hasn't broken a world record. Farah has consistently beaten the top runners in the big races when it matters, it doesn't make him the greatest of all time but the world record is a separate issue and shouldn't devalue what he has achieved though.

No-one has got close to the record since it was set. It will take something very special to break the record at 10,000m, it will happen one day but I don't think it will be anytime soon.

BigGully · Aug 23, 2016

Goldstone1976 said:
An interesting choice of comparison. I'd make the argument that Gebrselassie and Farah are roughly equal - both at the very top of the tree, with fewer than a handful of additional real competitors for the title of all-time greatest distance runner.

Farah beats him hands down in terms of major titles: 4 Olympic golds and 5 (so far) World golds plays 2 and 4 respectively. Gebrselassie beats Mo on WR though.

However, my real point is that, when we are comparing these two athletes, it is like comparing Pele, Messi, Moore, Beckenbauer etc for the title of all time best footballer. Mo is, imo and by any reasonable empirical analysis of the facts, in that sort of league. As is Gebrselassie.

I am a Mo fan, my point isnt really comparing those individually its more whom might be considered the greatest, not of his time but THE greatest athletes at those distances, perhaps there isnt a definitive answer, but for me, not to hold the quickest time at any time (although it seems that Mo has/did have a WR) must be something that would question the demand for Mo against those others that ran the fastest time ever for their era.

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