pasty
A different kind of pasty
Steve Redgrave. Show us yer medals.
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Is Mo Farrah the greatest ever British sportsman?
- Thread starter Garry Nelson's teacher
- Start date
Half Time Pies
Well-known member
Daley Thomson claimed that Mo would need to break a world record to be considered as up there amongst the best ever.
I think the triple double has never been done before though has it? It shouldn't be underestimated how difficult that is to race in an energy sapping 10,000 meters and then a few days later pick yourself up and go again in the 5,000 and to do this and win both at 3 successive championships is incredible.
I think the triple double has never been done before though has it? It shouldn't be underestimated how difficult that is to race in an energy sapping 10,000 meters and then a few days later pick yourself up and go again in the 5,000 and to do this and win both at 3 successive championships is incredible.
topbanana36
Well-known member
No and to throw a spanner in the works he is really a plastic Brit, the others mentioned were born and bred British. Beside that he is world class and great to watch.
5mins-from-amex
New member
John McGuinness for me, balls of steel.
er .. Wiggins, whom others are mentioning on this thread, was born in Belgium, but no-one seems to be questioning his Britishness. Funny that.
Gregory2Smith1
J'les aurai!
footballer has to be
Bobby Moore
Bobby Moore
topbanana36
Well-known member
Fair point, but i am sure Bradley Wiggins resides inside the UK most of the year though, pretty sure he had nothing to do with his father after he left his mother at the age of two as well.
Easy 10
Brain dead MUG SHEEP
Can't decry his achievements obviously, but I don't like him.
I can't quite put my finger on why, but there's just something a bit "holier than though" about him. And I find his constant OTT mugging for the cameras tiresome.
"Here comes the finish line, I'd better pull a face"
I can't quite put my finger on why, but there's just something a bit "holier than though" about him. And I find his constant OTT mugging for the cameras tiresome.
"Here comes the finish line, I'd better pull a face"
Half Time Pies
Well-known member
Hes not really a plastic brit though he moved over here when he was 8 years old long before he would have started running so its not like he's one of those sports people that switches allegiance to further their career. Britain is where he grew up and you can see how patriotic the guy is.
nicko31
Well-known member
Was waiting for this remark..
Yes there are plastic Brits, examples being Kevin Pieterson and Greg Rusedski, ones that turned their backs on their home nation
Coming to Britain aged 8, growing up here and developing your talents here does not make you a plastic Brit. Do you think he should be representing Somalia?
Sussex and England cricketer, world class batsman, FA Cup finalist, England football international, world long-jump record holder ....... oh and three games for the barbarians at rugby too. Right Mo - get in training to beat that!
joeinbrighton
New member
Impossible to compare apples, bananas and oranges. In track and field though, for a British athlete to completely dominate Kenyan and Ethiopian athletes in long distance events in this day and age over such a sustained period of time is a remarkable achievement.
topbanana36
Well-known member
He lives in the states most of the year and he lists portland USA as his main residence.
joeinbrighton
New member
No he isn't. He came to Britain at the age of 8 and was educated here. It's not like he represented one country and then changed his allegiance as an adult. Also, the point about his residence in the States is trivial. He resides there because it allows him to do warm weather training which is important to your success in long distance running. Not really an option in the UK in late November when people are wearing their thermals.
topbanana36
Well-known member
It is most of the year not just warm weather training. Then there is the Kenya training camp. British coaching facilities not good enough for him? I don't see Jessica Ennis-Hill or Greg Rutherford listing the USA as their main place of residence. The facilities up in sheffield are more than adequate for them both.
I know he passed all his drug tests, but so did Lance Armstrong until they worked out how he did it. The fact that his coach and training partner were under suspicion makes me sceptical, so I don't want to praise him to much and get fooled again like Ben Johnson.
Gregory2Smith1
J'les aurai!
Alex Hurricane Higgins
could you win the world championship pissed up?
could you win the world championship pissed up?
joeinbrighton
New member
You are assuming that a heptathlete and a long jumper require the same kind of training routine as a long distance runner. They don't. Greg Rutherford had a sand pit installed in his back garden for instance, which negates the need for spending time at base camp. For long distance runners it is different. Kenyan and Ethiopian runners are conditioned for running distances because they can just go outdoors at all times of the year and run all day. Farah has trained with US athletes who have enabled him to not only get himself in the best condition to finish races, but also to enable him to strategise how to give himself the best chance of winning. As an elite athlete, you set out to give yourself the maximum chance of succeeding, regardless of where that means you are living. Farah is completely driven by wanting to be the best and you would have to say that his strategy has worked pretty well for him. Whenever you hear him speak though, it is pretty evident that regardless of where he is living, he is proud to be representing the UK.