FOCUS ON Records go tumbling as Mo and Laura run riot in Birmingham
SIR MO FARAH broke his own European 5000 metres record as he signed off his indoor career in style.
The four-time Olympic champion won in 13 minutes and 9.16 seconds at the Indoor Grand Prix in Birmingham yesterday.
He followed the example of Scottish rising star Laura Muir, who set a new indoor 1000m European record earlier by winning in two mins 31.93 secs.
Farah beat Bahrain’s Albert Rop in a sprint for the line as his high-altitude training in Ethiopia paid off following a seventh-placed finish at the Great Edinburgh Cross Country last month.
Farah is planning to transfer to road racing after August’s track World Championships in London and believes his efforts in Africa proved the difference.
He said: “I can’t quite believe it is my last race but I have had a great indoor career.
“It is something that must come to an end. It is weird thinking about it and saying goodbye because I have had great support from everyone and in particular this track where I have broken so many records. It has been amazing over the years.
“I didn’t know I had broken the European record but that is good. It means a lot.
“It’s a lot better than where I was in Edinburgh. There was no secret with what I had to do. I had to get out in the mountains and train hard and put in the miles. The last four weeks have been painful but it’s what I needed.
“I knew I needed to do some work and to go away and leave my family behind and get back to real training and I did for the last four weeks and it is paying off, hard work pays off.”
Farah also believes he could be handing the hopes of British track distance running to Muir after her record.
He added: “I hope so. There’s no secret to anything, it’s hard work and putting in the miles.
“If you’re willing to do that and put up with it for many years it will pay off at some point, that’s the reality.”
Muir had set the tone in Birmingham when she stormed to victory to beat Kelly Holmes’ previous 1000m record by than a second.
Muir beat American Kate Grace and Holland’s Sanne Verstegen into second and third respectively in the second-fastest 1000m of all time.
She was just a second outside Maria Mutola’s 18-year world record and the 23-year-old is now after a podium finish at next month’s European Indoor Championships in Belgrade.
“I am delighted – I really wanted to get the win, that was really important,” Muir said.
“To beat Kelly’s record is amazing and to be so close to the world record is also very encouraging for me.”
Muir already holds the European indoor 3000m and British indoor 5000m records.
She said: “It is every athlete’s dream to be running well every time you come out on the track and being injury free. Hopefully I can carry this sort of form into the summer.
“I have worn my lucky spikes for all four of my national records so I am going to keep them safe for the future! They will be worth a bit now.
“I’ll be going for my first senior outdoor medals at the Europeans – that is what I am targeting.”
Andrew Pozzi took the men’s 60m hurdles in 7.43 secs, in a British one-two with David King, while 110m hurdles world record holder Aries Merritt, who had a kidney transplant in 2015, was third.
Richard Kilty was third in the 60m as he waits to see if he has won a place in the British squad for the European Indoor Championships ahead of selection on Monday.
Birmingham-based Robbie Grabarz, who won London 2012 bronze, finished second in the high jump, behind America’s Erik Kynard.
Double Olympic champion Elaine Thompson won the women’s 60m in 6.98, the first time the Jamaican, who won the women’s 100m and 200m at Rio, has dipped under seven seconds.
America’s Olympic champion Jeff Henderson could only finish fourth in the long jump as South Africa’s Godfrey Mokoena took gold.