Mo Farah Brought Joy and Late Closing Speed to Distance Running
Even when Farah’s relaxed, efficient form betrayed him — as it did when he was accidentally tripped by Rupp and fell during the 10,000 meters at the 2016 Olympics in Rio — it hardly mattered. Farah quickly got to his feet and still won the gold medal, then took a second victory in the 5,000 meters. In 2017, Farah was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace, though in keeping with fusty royal custom, he did not ask her to do the Mobot.
Farah wore a top hat and tails and told reporters he had dreamed of “becoming something” by winning an Olympic gold medal. “As an 8-year-old coming from Somalia and not speaking a word of English, to be recognized by your country, it is incredible,” he said.
His story, though, was more complicated than that telling, on the track and off.
His former coach, Salazar, ruined his own career over accusations of fostering doping and allegations of sexual misconduct. He has denied any wrongdoing. Farah was never charged with doping, and has strongly denied it, but in a sport practiced in the dark arts of prohibited substances, shadows of suspicion were cast across his accomplishments.
Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/14/sports/olympics/mo-farah-uk-immigration.html