Athletics: 'Clean' Mo Farah insists success is down to hard work

Britain's Mo Farah wins the men's 3,000m during the IAAF Diamond League Anniversary Games athletics meeting at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park stadium in Stratford, east London on July 9, 2017. PHOTO: AFP

LONDON (AFP) - Mo Farah won his final race before next month's World Championships on Sunday, but his delight at finishing first in front of a home crowd was briefly eclipsed by frustration at being asked about doping allegations that continue to follow him.

The British athlete told journalists that he was "clean" and "sick of repeating myself".

Farah's victory in the 3,000m in 7min 35.15sec at the Muller Anniversary Games was straightforward enough. Off a steady pace, he strode away from Adel Mechaal down the home straight at the London Stadium.

A repeat in the 10,000m and 5,000m at the World Championships will provide the perfect finish to his track career.

But the headlines are not always nice for Farah to read. A data leak from Fancy Bears, the Russian hackers, last week revealed that he had briefly been suspected of doping by an IAAF expert in 2015, before his blood readings were declared normal. It led to more questions on Sunday and more denials.

"I am sick of repeating myself and you guys just making something out of nothing," he told a group of journalists. "I work hard at what I do and I just carry on enjoying what I do, and it comes as a little distraction.

"It is just a small minority who think to become a success you must be doing something (illegal). I said I will never fail a drugs test. That is who I am."

"There's no secrets to what I do. My life is not as easy as people think, it is hard work."

Farah has decided against running in a 1,500m race in Monaco in 11 days and will fly to his altitude training camp in Font Romeu, in the French Pyrenees, where he will remain until the start of the World Championships.

"I'll just knuckle down. It's going all right. I'm ticking boxes, grafting, the usual. The last five years has been the same routine," he said.

While Farah posted an impressive warm-up run for the world championships and his track swansong in London in three weeks, there were others too who made statements of intent.

Jamaica's star sprinter Elaine Thompson won the 100m in 10.94sec, coming from behind to edge out her great rival Dafne Schippers (10.97s) despite wearing shoes which resembled trainers.

"I do have on spikes but they are very petite. They are built especially for me and made lighter," said Thompson. "I'm really looking forward to the worlds.

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.