Mo Farah, an award-winning British long-distance runner of Somali origin, has announced his retirement from track athletics. This implies that he will not participate in the Paris Olympics in 2024, nor in the World Championships or the European Athletics that will be held this year. At 39 years old, and after a shocking defeat against an amateur runner in the 10,000 meters at Vitality London last May, his doubts about his physical ability and his competitive level led him to make this decision. However, he won't give it up entirely: his goal is to run the London Half Marathon and get ready for the Marathon on October 2.
"I'm still hungry, I'm willing to put in the sacrifice and the kilometres. I've been running consistently and I still have that fighting spirit. Until I lose it, I don't think I should think about retiring permanently," explains the Briton in statements collected by The Guardian . Mentally he feels good, but he is not sure that his physicality is at the level necessary to participate in important tournaments. "Realistically, can my body do it? Can my body compete with these men at this level?" Farah wonders.
His doubts have to do with his definitive retirement, but what is totally clear to him is that he will not race on the track again: "No, I will not return. That's all. I love being competitive with the rest, that's the reason why I will not go to the World Championships or the European Championships. I will give it my all in the London Marathon and we will see what happens."
Mo Farah has never stopped training and admits that his numbers are still unattainable for most people. "I'm doing sessions that normal people can't do. I feel like I still have the ability, but it's not the same as before the championships," he says.
His decision, he insists, is entirely personal and deeply thought through. His coaches or his family will not decide for him, although his children have already asked him when the next Olympics will be and if he will participate in them. "This decision only depends on me, not on my coach or my wife or my children. I am the one who sacrifices every week and week too. The time will come (for final retirement), but I don't even know when it will be" , confesses the broker.
Mo Farah's story began in Somalia, his country of origin, from where he fled in 1993, at the age of 10. He arrived in London and soon stood out as a great runner, being English cross champion five years in a row and European junior runner-up in 2001. He became known by achieving, in 2006, the second best time in the history of the United Kingdom in 5,000 meters . From there, he took off and became the greatest dominator of the 5,000 and 10,000 meters of the last decade: four Olympic golds, six golds and two world silvers and five European golds and one silver shine in his record.
