Record beckons

The incentive for Mo Farah when he hits the comeback trail at the European athletics championships, which open in Zurich tomorrow, will be a place in the record books. The 31-year-old British distance runner has already won four European outdoor medals in individual events (two golds at 5000m, one gold at 10,000m and a silver at 5000m) and no male athlete has won five. Four men have gained six medals — British duo Roger Black, Linford Christie, German great Harald Schmid and late Italian sprint legend Pietro Mennea — but their tallies were all boosted by two or three relay medals. Farah could take his haul from individual events to six if he finishes on the podium after the 10,000m final on Thursday and the 5000m on Monday.