• Commonwealth Games

Farah to double up in Glasgow

ESPN staff
June 11, 2014
Mo Farah finished eighth in his first London Marathon in April © Getty Images
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Double world and Olympic champion Mo Farah is set to surprise his opponents at next month's Commonwealth Games by opting to double up in the 5,000m and 10,000m.

Farah had been expected to concentrate on one event following his efforts in the London Marathon two months ago, when he finished eighth in his first attempt over 26.2 miles.

Wiggins in but athletics squad delayed

  • England have delayed the announcement of their athletics squad for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow due to an "administrative error".

    Members of the team, which is expected to include double world and Olympic champion Mo Farah, are understood to have already been sent letters telling them they have been picked, but have also been warned they face deselection if they reveal their selection.

    Team England had been expected to announce the track and field team two days ago, but the line-up is yet to be signed off by the England Commonwealth Games Federation.

    Sir Bradley Wiggins, meanwhile, will race for England in Glasgow as part of a cycling team that includes eight Olympic champions.

    Wiggins will be joined by the likes of Laura Trott, Joanna Rowsell, Dani King, Ed Clancy, Steven Burke, Jason Kenny and Philip Hindes in a squad led by Team Sky's Shane Sutton.
But Farah, who the Daily Telegraph says will be part of England's squad in Glasgow, has the chance to make history once again. If he wins both events he will become the first athlete to complete the full set of European, Commonwealth, world and Olympic 5,000m and 10,000m titles.

The expected news of Farah's appearance will come as a boost to organisers desperate to ensure big names appear at the Games. They are still waiting to hear if Usain Bolt will be fit enough to take his place in the Jamaica squad.

Farah starts his track season on Sunday in the 5,000m at the Portland Track Festival in the United States, as he comes off the back of a winter of hard, endurance-based work at high altitude in Kenya.

After the London Marathon in April, Farah met with British Athletics performance director Neil Black.

"Mo will be looking forward to getting on the track this summer and enjoying racing," Black said. "Mo's a winner. He wants to win and the fact that he didn't win [the London Marathon] and didn't do as well as he wanted or expected means that he's desperate to go out and win."

The European Championships take place in Zurich just a week after the Commonwealth Games but Farah is said to be considering missing them altogether to concentrate on his bid for a double in Glasgow.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd
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