Farah supreme in first outing since doping claims against coach
Reigning Olympic and double world champion Mo Farah dominated the
5000m at the Lausanne Diamond League on Thursday in his first outing
since doping allegations against his coach Alberto Salazar.
Farah kicked back on the final lap from 80 metres out to beat a
high-quality field featuring five of the top six in the world rankings
this year, and said afterwards that the victory was a good response to
his and Salazar's critics.
The 32-year-old Farah, who is also current Olympic and world 10,000m
champion, clocked a meeting record of 13min 11.77sec, with Ethiopian
Yomif Kejelcha in second (13:12.59).
"This is what I work for, the crowd were great," beamed Farah after
his first outing over 5,000m this season and his first race in six weeks
after he pulled out of the Birmingham Diamond League meet in early June
to return to his US training base to confront Salazar over doping
allegations.
"I had a great finish. Overall I am happy with the way the race went
today. This victory is also a way to answer some of the critics
regarding my coach that came out lately."
Claims made by BBC Panorama and US investigative website ProPublica
alleged that Salazar violated several anti-doping rules, which the
Cuban-born American distance running coach has thoroughly refuted.
The documentary alleged that Salazar violated doping rules by
administering testosterone to American distance runner Galen Rupp in
2002 when Rupp -- a training partner of Farah -- was only 16, and
encouraging misuse of prescription drugs.
Farah was not implicated for any wrongdoing, insists he is "100
percent clean" and has welcomed subsequent probes by both the British
and US anti-doping agencies to help clear his name.
On the track, Kenyan Ismael Kombich set off at a cracking pace, Farah
settling in the following pack which had quickly stretched. A second
Kenyan hare, Geoffrey Barusei, took over with eight-and-a-half laps to
go, carrying on the unrelenting rhythm before a vocal crowd at
Lausanne's Stade de la Pontaise in balmy conditions.
Farah took the lead with three laps to go, looking very comfortable
as a peloton of six broke clear.
The Somali-born Briton hugged the inside line as the bell sounded,
but Kejelcha broke with 300m to go. But it was not to last.
Farah kicked back and purred past Kejelcha from 80 metres out, waving
exultantly at the crowd in what was an emotional finish, before doing
his trademark 'Mobot'. (AFP)
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