Athletics: Farah 'confident'

Farah: Focused on 10,000

I've got a lot of people working alongside me which is important when you're putting the miles in week after week.

Mo Farah
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Mo Farah says he is 'really confident' of taking gold at the European Championships in Barcelona next week.

The British athlete is initially targeting the 10,000m on the opening day of the event on July 27, but is hoping to double-up in the 5,000, in which he earned silver four years ago.

The man who beat him by nine-hundredths in Gothenburg - Jesus Espana - will be in opposition again but Farah, who at 27 is at the height of his powers, is fully focused on the task ahead.

"That still plays on my mind," Farah admitted. "It was so close but it's four years ago and things have moved on.

"I've gone up a level since and it will be nice to go out there and get close to the gold.

Confident

"The guy who beat me in Gothenburg will be there in Barcelona but I'll keep training and I'm happy the way things are going. I'm really confident."

Farah has twice suffered collapses after finishing races but that problem has been put down to a magnesium and iron deficiency, and he now feels in the best of health.

"I've got a great team around me, Matt Lovell (nutritionist) has helped me a lot," Farah added.

"I've got a lot of people working alongside me which is important when you're putting the miles in week after week.

"When something's not quite right you have to get on top of it. I feel strong. Everything is going in the right direction. Part of being an athlete is having the right people around you.

"It's not easy when you are putting your body through a lot of hard work, this is where Barry (Fudge, a physiologist) and Matt come in with nutrition, regular blood tests and checking how you're feeling."

Focus

With the 10,000 being run as a straight final on the opening day, Farah believes it should not be a problem taking in the 5,000m as well.

"It all depends how I come off that 10k," Farah added. "I want to win that gold and want to give it 100% in that 10k, and if anything else happens it happens.

"If I feel good I'm going to try to run the 5k but my full focus now is the 10k, I'm not thinking about anything else.

"I think expectation is high, here in the Aviva training camp in Portugal everyone seems to be more positive than negative. If you look back two years ago there was only really myself and now there's more people coming through with the likes of Chris Thompson and Andrew Lemoncello.

"Me and Chris go way back to the English Schools. I've moved on a bit and he's had a few injuries but the way he's going now is really good.

"Chris is capable of being up there. It's nice to see him coming back and pushing me."