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I used to run like a girl! Farah explains how USA move turned him into golden hero

Mo Farah has revealed how the biggest gamble of his career turned him from a weakling who runs 'like a girl' into a double Olympic champion.

Farah claimed gold in the 5,000 and 10,000 metres at the European Championships in Barcelona in 2010, but knew that he still needed to improve on the world scene after finishing sixth and seventh in the previous two World Championships.

The 29-year-old, who had also failed to qualify for the Olympic 5,000m final in Beijing in 2008, therefore split from long-term coach Alan Storey and moved his wife Tania and daughter Rihanna - aged five at the time - from their London home just 17 months out from London 2012 to work with Alberto Salazar in Portland, Oregon.

Catching on: Mo Farah does the Mobot alongside Pele and David Cameron at Downing Street

Top team: David Cameron and Mo Farah hold a baton aloft, with Pele (front centre) and Haile Gebrselassie (right)

And the move has paid enormous dividends with Farah last night becoming only the seventh man to win the long-distance Olympic double, with London 2012 chairman Seb Coe - himself a former Olympic champion - hailing Farah as 'probably the greatest runner this country has produced'.

'There were a lot of questions asked at the time I moved to America because I was double European champion and people were like, "Mo, why are you changing when things are going so well?"' Farah said.

'But in your mind you know something had to change because I was coming sixth, seventh, and if I didn't make that change I don't think I would have been here today and competing with those guys.

'It felt like it was a gamble, moving my daughter out of school, taking my wife and not knowing too much about the place - it was good for training, that's all I knew. Half the year I am away as well so you have that responsibility as a parent and husband to make sure they are happy. I am glad my wife does like it.

Magic MOment: Farah celebrates his 5,000m win

'It was only the last lap really and that's been the difference, 1 or 2%. I've always had it but I just haven't been able to finish races, now I am finishing races strong. They were queuing up to pass me and I could feel that but I wasn't going to let anyone past me. It's an incredible feeling.'

Even Usain Bolt paid tribute to Farah's achievement by performing the Briton's 'Mobot' celebration as he crossed the line after breaking the world record in the 4x100m relay.

And Farah revealed that his daughter Rihanna was far more impressed by the Jamaican superstar than her dad's two gold medals.

'Me and Usain get on well, we have a good relationship and my daughter loves him,' Farah added. 'Yesterday that made her day; he gave her a hug and she took a picture of him, she was like "Bolt, Bolt, Bolt!"'

Farah's gold medals will take pride of place at his home in Oregon - where he even has a treadmill in his bedroom - the Arsenal fan having left a space next to his World and European medals and a signed Gunners shirt.

Track kings: Farah with the greatest sprinter ever, Usain Bolt

And he wants to add more medals to the collection, even though he is also tempted to step up to the marathon.

'I'm not sure about next year but I do want to run the London Marathon. I am quite excited about it, the crowd, it would be amazing,' added Farah, who will run a half-marathon in the Great North Run on September 16.

'It's an option but I have not talked to Alberto or Ricky (Simms, his agent). I believe Alberto will probably say it's too early for the road, keep up the track. Things are going well and as an athlete you want to be able to collect as many medals as possible throughout your career. I want to keep 

Golden greats: Mo stuns the world by doing long-distance double as sprint king Bolt sets new record

Mo Farah and Usain Bolt provided an extraordinary finale to the track programme of the Olympic Games with a fourth athletics gold medal for Britain and a relay world record for Jamaica.

With the curtain coming down on a  universally acclaimed London Games on Sunday, Farah held his nerve in a final lap of the 5,000m to become the seventh man in history to win the 5,000m-10,000m double — and dedicated his two medals to his twin girls, who are due to be born in 12 days.

Bolt, in what may be his farewell to the Olympics, then anchored a Jamaican quartet of Nesta Carter, Michael Frater and Yohan Blake to break their own world record with 36.84sec in the 4x100m, beating the Americans, who also broke the old world record in 37.04sec.

Trading places: Mo Farah celebrates with Usain Bolt's trademark Lightening Strike while the Jamaican sprinter copies the Brit's Mo-Bot celebration

In the record books: Bolt poses on the podium after winning the men's 4X100 relay

Boxer Luke Campbell added to the British gold haul, realising his lifetime dream as he floored Ireland’s John Joe Nevin on his way to a 14-11 victory and the Olympic bantamweight title at ExCeL on Saturday night.

Earlier Ed McKeever had powered to victory in the men’s 200m kayak canoeing, the  28-year-old dominating the K1 single final with Spaniard Saul Craviotto Rivero taking silver and Canada’s Mark de Jonge bronze.

Farah received the loudest acclaim of the night as he sprinted for gold and said: ‘The crowd were amazing. They made an incredible noise. These medals are for my two girls, who haven’t been born yet, hopefully. They could arrive any time in the next 12 days. It’s amazing.

Boxing to gold: Luke Campbell won gold in the boxing ring

'They’re twins so there’s one for each.’

As for his short-term future on the track, Farah said: 'I don’t know what’s going on. I’m taking one race at a time. The Olympics doesn’t come round often. It's all worked out well.

'I’m just amazed. Two gold medals — who would have thought that?

'I just want to thank everyone who’s supported me. All my coaches from previous years and all the people who’ve been involved in my life. I can’t thank everybody enough.

Paddle power: Ed Mckeever celebrates after winning the gold medal in the kayak single 200-meter men's final

'I want to say particularly to my wife, with her carrying twins, it hasn’t been easy but I didn’t want to know about it.

'If anything happens she promised she wouldn’t let me know so I’m glad it all worked out well.’

He added: ‘It’s been a long journey, grafting and grafting, but anything is possible.'

 

ugandan Kiprotich beats Kenyan duo Kirui and Kipsang to spring marathon surprise

Uganda's Stephen Kiprotich stunned the Kenyan challenge to clinch a surprise Olympic gold medal in the marathon on The Mall.

The 23-year-old burst past Abel Kirui and Wilson Kipsang around the 38-kilometre mark to leave his two rivals trailing and claim only Uganda's second ever Olympic gold in athletics.

Kiprotich followed in the footsteps of his compatriot John Akii-Bua, who was 400 metres hurdles champion 40 years ago, and crossed the line in two hours, eight minutes and one second.

Glory: Stephen Kiprotich reaches the finish line

Kiprotich on the way towards the finish

Kirui took the silver, 26 seconds adrift, and long-time leader Kipsang finished with the bronze.

Kipsang, the London Marathon winner, made an early move to try to break up the lead group, building a 21-second lead at one point.

It was a high-risk strategy in such warm conditions, though, and he paid for it as the race went on as he started to look less and less comfortable.

Front runners: Kiprotich and Kenya's Wilson Kipsang Kiprotich and Abel Kirui (left-right)

Silver service: Kenya's Kirui prays after coming second place

Medal men: Kenya's Abel Kirui (right) is congratulated by gold medalist Kiprotich

He missed a drinks stop and by the 25km mark his advantage was down to seven seconds.