• London Olympics 2012

Farah adamant that gold is possible in 2012

ESPN staff
August 10, 2010
Mo Farah excelled at the European Championships © Getty Images
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Mo Farah insists that he can clinch a gold medal in the 5,000 metres at the 2012 Olympics - despite his underwhelming showing at the Beijing Games.

Farah failed to qualify for the 5k final at the 2008 Olympics, but his career has been on an upward trajectory since then.

He finished seventh in the event at the World Championships last year, before claiming a middle-distance double - gold in the 5k and the 10k - at the European Championships last month.

Now he is adamant that he can defeat Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele when the Olympics come to London in two years' time. "You have to believe in yourself and at the World Championships last year I was two-and-a-half seconds away from Bekele [who ran 13:17.09]," Farah told the Guardian.

"He's beatable. Joseph Ebuya, who I train with in Kenya, beat Bekele in cross-country this year. Joseph was holding his head, saying, 'I beat him, I beat him …' So Bekele can have an off day.

"In 2012 I think 12:50 would definitely win it - and it could even be 13:10 or 13:15. If you look at every major championship a time around 13 minutes usually wins it. So I can definitely win a medal at the worlds next year and at the London Olympics. On my day I know it's possible."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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