by RBR AdminThe pressers at the Sainsbury’s events, managed by British Athletics, are some of the best in the sport. A group of Britain’s finest sports media, along with yours truly, were assembled around a table as Mo Farah sits on the other side.
Galen Rupp, Mo Farah, A Day in the Life, April 2013, photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images/IAAF
Tape recorders, old school and digital ( I use audacity.com and an app on my iphone), are marked on as it is announced that we have fifteen minutes with Mo Farah. Part of the marketing deal between elite athletes and British athletics events is two hours of media time, broken up for photos, TV interviews and pressers such as this.
The media from various organizations agree on an embargo time on many of the interviews, out of respect for newspaper deadlines, and we are off.
I found Mo Farah quite relaxed. He spoke openly on his training and his social media issues with Andy Vernon. I thought that his response on the twitter war was well done, and should be the model for other athletes who letter their tweeting get them in a bit of trouble. In the end, Mo took his hit and explained his issue with Andy Vernon. Mr. Vernon did not come off as good, and he was lambasted in twitter world and British press.
Note that while Mo Farah talks about wanting to get a PB in the two mile, he was careful to talk about a World Record. Forensically, I found out that the World record attempt had been in the plans for two weeks. A British pacer was found and Paul Koech was found to help the pace through 2 kilometers.
Mo Farah is well liked by most of his competitors. Bernard Lagat noted that Mo Farah was quite clear with him that he would go with six laps or if the pace dawdled, Mo would go earlier. Bernard noted that most athletes are not like that.
Mo Farah is a special one….
