The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Brendan fosters hopes of golden finale with Farah
Brendan Foster hopes to end his commentating career with the BBC on a high along with Sir Mo Farah at this summer’s World Championships in London.
The 69-year-old has decided to hang up his microphone after the competition in August, which will also see Great Britain’s long-distance runner Farah call time on his illustrious track career.
Foster’s final commentary will be Farah’s 10,000m final as he attempts to go for the world double-double – winning the 5,000m and 10,000m at successive events having won gold in both disciplines in Beijing in 2015.
It is a feat Foster narrowly failed to achieve at the Montreal Olympics in 1976 but he hopes Farah can manage it and enable both of them go out on a high.
“This year is like a book-end for me,” Foster told Press Association Sport.
“As an athlete 40 years ago I was aiming for a double-double in the 5,000 and 10,000 metres and I was beaten in both races by the great Lasse Viren.
“This year, Mo will attempt his latest double-double and it will be on the track where he famously won his Olympic golds (in 2012).
“So for me as an athlete and a commentator it just seems the right time and the right place to say ‘thank you and goodbye’, and hopefully Mo can do the business again and we can both step down together on a high.
“My last commentary will be Mo’s last track race. I planned it that way.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to commentate on some memorable moments – witnessing true greatness at times. But if I could write the script and see one more thing, commentate on one more thing, before I call it a day it would be for Mo to win again at the World Championships.”
Four-time Olympic gold medallist Farah could completely turn his attentions to road racing following the World Championships in London.
There has even been talk of him running the marathon at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.