British performance director says Mo Farah will produce something special in the Worlds

Record ID: 905105

  • Title: British performance director says Mo Farah will produce something special in the Worlds
  • Date: 3rd August 2017
  • Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UK (AUGUST 3, 2017) (REUTERS) WIDE VIEW OF MARTYN ROONEY, DINA ASHER-SMITH, NETHANEEL MITCHELL-BLAKE, TEAM CAPTAIN EILIDH (PRON: AY-LEE) DOYLE AND PERFORMANCE DIRECTOR NEIL BLACK (RIGHT) AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITISH ATHLETICS PERFORMANCE DIRECTOR NEIL BLACK, ASKED ABOUT FORM OF MO FARAH, SAYS: "At every year certain things happen where it gets to a point where suddenly Mo Farah knows that he is ready. Last year it was the Anniversary Games, five km he was suddenly 'I'm ready'. This year it was probably 12 days ago. And he did something in training, without killing himself, that confirmed to him, and to the rest of us, 'you're ready'. And he then takes his shoes off and says 'that's it, job done'. So you will see something pretty special." (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITISH ATHLETICS TEAM CAPTAIN EILIDH (PRON: AY-LEE) DOYLE, ASKED WHAT SHE TOLD OTHER BRITISH ATHLETES IN A SPEECH, SAYS: "I think it went well, I mean, I just drew on the fact that we were very lucky in the situation that we have got a home World Championships and I am particularly lucky in that I got to go to a home Olympic Games, then a home Commonwealth Games, now a home World Championships, so really about the importance of drawing on the home support. And really driving on the fact that we are back at the Olympic Stadium, I am getting a second chance to get out there and compete and yes it is going to be an amazing atmosphere out there." (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITISH ATHLETICS PERFORMANCE DIRECTOR NEIL BLACK, HAVING SAID HE HAD QUESTIONED MO FARAH CLOSELY, AND 'LOOKED HIM IN THE EYE', IS ASKED IF THAT IS ENOUGH. HE SAYS: "Of course you look people in the eye, and we all do it, and you have to work it out and ask the question 'do I believe there is anything that suggests otherwise?' And there is nothing at all that suggests otherwise to me. I understand that if you read information and you talk to people it is very easy for people to fall into the trap of assuming fault, blame, looking negatively, building this picture. That it seems to be a natural human trait that we do that we make something into something else. We add two and two and get - whatever. So I understand that, I don't misunderstand people who feel differently, I don't."
  • Embargoed: 17th August 2017 16:42
  • Keywords: Neil Black Eilidh Doyle
  • Location: LONDON, ENGLAND, UK
  • City: LONDON, ENGLAND, UK
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: Athletics,Sport
  • Reuters ID: LVA0016SLSM67
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: British Athletics' performance director Neil Black told reporters on Thursday (August 3) that Mo Farah would produce "something pretty special" at the IAAF World Championships which begin in London on Friday (August 4).
    Black had earlier been asked why Farah was not present and said that was up to Farah's coach Alberto Salazar.
    The director said that Farah was able to reach a peak of training and then say "the job's done" and he said Farah had reached that point about 12 days ago.
    "You will see something pretty special," he assured the reporters.
    Salazar is a controversial figure who has been accused of using prohibited infusions of supplements to improve the performance of his runners, the Sunday Times reported in February, citing a leaked United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) report.
    This led to a reporter questioning to Black about Farah and his relationship with coach Salazar. Black answered, saying that he had looked Farah in the eye as he questioned him about the matter.
    "You have to work it out and ask the question 'do I believe there is anything that suggests otherwise?' And there is nothing at all that suggests otherwise to me," Black said.
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