Farah ready for battle in final indoor track race

RARE is the meeting where Mo Farah is not accorded top billing. So often in the past, including in Glasgow 12 months ago, the soon-to-be four-time Olympic champion has seen the schedule of the Indoor Grand Prix manipulated to give him the prime slot and it is no different in Birmingham this year.

Yet Farah, freshly returned from a camp in Ethiopia, will have to fight Laura Muir for tomorrow’s headlines with the Scot ready to chase the world record over 1,000 metres, and a $20,000 bonus, at the Barclaycard Arena this afternoon before ceding the stage to the past master.

Not that Sir Mo will be unduly concerned, even though his chances of a concerted challenge over 5,000m were drastically reduced with the late withdrawal of in-form Scot Andrew Butchart yesterday.

“I think this will be my last track race indoors,” he confirmed.

He also bolted the door shut on second thoughts of ending his track career following the world championships in his adoptive home city.

“For me, it all started in London 2012,” he said.

“My life has changed and so many things have changed and for me it wouldn’t be fair to continue on. I’d like to be able to hang my spikes up after London 2017 and then go on to the roads.”

The concluding leg of the IAAF World Indoor Tour will also be bereft of Dina Asher-Smith, with the sprinter sidelined for six weeks after revealing she fractured an ankle in training on Thursday.

Other races to watch include the Women’s 60m. With Asher-Smith out, the attention falls on double Olympic champion Elaine Thompson.

But she meets reigning world indoor champion Barbara Pierre as well as UK number one Asha Philip.

In the Women’s 400m three of the world’s best hurdlers will face off against Zuzana Hejnova. Shamier Little as well as in-form Scot Eilidh Doyle.

McColgan and Twell resume their scrap for domestic supremacy in the women’s 3000m, but Rio 2016 silver medallist Hellen Obiri will aim to bounce back from losing to Muir in Karlsruhe despite the challenge of Sifan Hassan and Shannon Rowbury.

In the Men’s 60m hurdles Andy Pozzi has been unbeatable in 2017 and extended his world rankings lead in winning the British championships.

He’ll face 2012 Olympic champion Aries Merritt, still competing despite the kidney transplant he had last year.