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So Mo, Britain's greatest long distance runner, has relocated his family and himself to Oregon...

Nice very nice.... a lovely part of the west coast..I've been there a couple of times.... shame he doesn't want to stay in the UK as they gave him all he's achieved to date since fleeing Somalia... I am surprised and sad he has left the UK after all the golds he won.

Wasn't he banging on at one point at how he loved having a British nationality rather than his Somalian.

Considering all the garbage spouted about sportsman such as the term "heroes" and now "heritage" I'd like to hope that society as a whole would put on the reality goggles.

Mo Farah has been based in the States for quite awhile. His trainer is the renowned athletic coach, Alberto Salazar.

Why did he do that? Because he thought Salazar could help him make the step from European to world champion. In addition, a number of world class distance athletes are based in Oregon such as Galen Rupp, the guy who got a silver medal in the Olympic 10,000 metres. Last year proved that Farah made the right decision.

Athletes including the likes of Paula Radcliffe have long understood the importance of training at altitude which Farah can do easily in the States as a way of stimulating red cell growth and improving performance. Most world class distance athletes spend much of the time training at altitude and warm weather climates. This has always been the case ever since the Kenyans who trained at high altitude in their country, started to dominate distance running. UK isn't really like that climate wise, is it?

I assume that with twins just born a few months ago, he wants to have his family around him.

What's the problem? Has he changed his nationality as part of this?

I don't think there's a problem, I sometimes think loyalty is nice, maybe it would have been good for him to spend his winnings in the UK and not spend it in the US.... and invest in the country that has changed his life?

"I don't think there's a problem"

Obviously you do think it is a problem, otherwise you wouldn't make this critical post.

"shame he doesn't want to stay in the UK as they gave him all he's achieved to date since fleeing Somalia... I am surprised and sad he has left the UK after all the golds he won."

Maybe you would have preferred that he stayed in the UK prior to the Olympics as well and trailed in in a glorious losers' position of 8th, say in the Olympics? He "won golds" in the first place because he left the UK for the reasons I have explained -world class training partners and coach, high altitude training etc.

As David has pointed out, many British athletes have trained abroad. Especially long-distance runners. It's just about being the best he can be, and if that means training in Oregon then that's where he'll be. You also have to realise that an athlete's career is very short, and they don't have the weekly wages of a footballer. The better he is the more sponsorship money he'll likely get, which means he's better able to support his family etc etc.

It just makes sense and has nothing to do with disloyalty.

Great answer... tell that to the 6000 comet workers... (Quote from D Johnson)

Eh?

"Great answer... tell that to the 6000 comet workers... (Quote from D Johnson)"

This is what we refer to as a non sequitur in Blackpool.

So if Mo Farah who has been based in Oregan now for about 2 years, had stayed in England instead of just about every other world class long distance athlete who has relocated somewhere for altitude training, and not had the success and money subsequently gained in the Olympics, it would have had an impact on 6,000 Comet workers?

What are you arguing? If he had stayed in Britain and had much less success/money he would have spent it all on hi fi equipment and fridges?

"I am surprised and sad he has left the UK after all the golds he won."

According to the article below he moved to Oregon with his family in Feb 2011. His daughter is at school there.



So your argument which appears to be that he has relocated to Oregon after the Olympic success is not true. His world championship gold and Olympic golds for which he has had huge publicity and presumably sponsorship came after the move to Oregon.