Sir Mo made history and broke a string of world and European records
MO Farah is the most decorated athlete in British athletics history and the most successful British track athlete in modern Olympic Games.
But despite his incredible success, in recent years he has been dogged by his connection to his former coach Alberto Salazar and Nike Oregon Project doctor Dr Jeffrey Brown. Both received four-year bans from athletics for the trafficking of testosterone, the prohibited overuse of L-carnitine and tampering with doping controls.
Mo won gold in the 5,000m and 10,000m at both the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympics, becoming only the second athlete in modern Olympic Games history, after Finland’s Lasse Virén, to win the titles at successive Games.
He also completed the “distance double” at the 2013 and 2015 World Championships in Athletics, becoming only the second man in history, after Kenenisa Bekele, to win long-distance doubles at successive Olympics and World Championships.
He is the first to defend both distance titles in both major global competitions.
He was knighted by the Queen in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to athletics.
He holds a string of European records – for the 1,500m, 10,000m, half-marathon, marathon and two miles. He’s British record holder for the 5,000m, the European indoor record holder for 5,000m, the British indoor record holder in the 3,000m and the current indoor world record holder for the two miles.
Mo was born in Somalia, East Africa, and moved to Britain at the age of eight.
His talent for longdistance running first emerged when he represented Hounslow at cross-country in the London Youth Games. In 1996, aged 13, he entered the English schools crosscountry and finished ninth.