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Mo Farah







Pavilionaire

Well-known member
Jul 7, 2003
31,263
Lasse Virren was the only other athlete in history to complete a double, double in long distance running, of any nationality, in the Olympics, Mo has also won NINE major gold medals, at all the major events.
Although I have a huge amount of time for Daley Thompson, and Sen Coe, I think both would agree, they can't hold a candle to Mo

I disagree, Daley was THE greatest GB athlete, he had the lot. That said, Mo is a class act and a genuine patriot.
 


Jul 20, 2003
20,680
There's no doubt East African descent helps with long distance running, but culturally he is British. He lives a British life (when training permits), his wife is middle England British, he feels British.

If you want to talk biology, maybe his race steered him into long distance running rather than swimming, I don't know. But it's not a reason to lessen his Britishness.

Yep.
 


Half Time Pies

Well-known member
Sep 7, 2003
1,575
Brighton
Mo can run long distance, but what else? Daley done the business across multi-disiplines, that makes for a greater athlete. if we are going to focus down on single disciplines have to then bring in the rowers and cyclists.

The fact that its multi-event is neither-here-nor-there really. This is all subjective of course but In the individual events of the decathlon the participants are some way off the standards of the specialists in those events. Mo Farah's British record for the 1500 meters is 3.28 seconds whereas the world record in the decathlon is closer to 4mins and Daley Thompsons PB was 4.20 which means had they raced he would have been close to being lapped! Decathlon athletes are jack of all trades and masters of none which is perhaps why they took up the event in the first place. Its also not a popular event in terms of participation or for the spectators. the prestige and participation of middle distance running is far greater as an event.

You of course also have to bring the rowers and cyclists in but again I don't think they can hold a candle to Mo. Nobody does Rowing as a sport apart from one rich man and a dog and nobody watches it either. In the cycling there seems to be 10 events on the track which are variations on the same theme (and includes team events) hence the possibility of winning more golds must be substantially increased.

In both track cycling and rowing the general person on the street will not have had an opportunity to take up the sport and compete however everyone competes at running at some point in their life and its a truly global sport.
 
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alfredmizen

Banned
Mar 11, 2015
6,342
Mo is as British as the rest of us and what a fantastic double double British gold medalist he is

I've no problem with him being classed as British , but no , he really isn't as "British as the rest of us ".
 


McTavish

Well-known member
Nov 5, 2014
1,587
I think people are misconstruing Cheeky Monkey's comment. The point he makes about Farah not having British biology, technically he is correct. He has the physiology of an African runner.
No he's not technically correct because he is mixing the concept of ethnic origin with nationality and effectively saying that as far as he is concerned black people can't be properly British. There is no such thing as "British Biology". At a stretch I suppose that you could talk about Northern European ethnicity but to exclude people from being "properly British" because of their ethnicity is just straightforwardly racist.
 


Herr Tubthumper

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
62,684
The Fatherland
No he's not technically correct because he is mixing the concept of ethnic origin with nationality and effectively saying that as far as he is concerned black people can't be properly British. There is no such thing as "British Biology". At a stretch I suppose that you could talk about Northern European ethnicity but to exclude people from being "properly British" because of their ethnicity is just straightforwardly racist.

I get the gist of what you're saying, and agree with it, but you seem to be confusing race and ethnicity?

(Sorry, it's a bug bear of mine)
 




pastafarian

Well-known member
Sep 4, 2011
11,902
Sussex
The bloke is obviously British to most people but he will always struggle and always be on the losing end of claiming to be really properly British when there are people in this country who dislike immigrants so much they even claim our Queen doesn’t meet the requirements to be called British.......if she is still German,immigrants have a long wait before they can be truly British
 
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albionalbino

Well-known member
Nov 1, 2009
1,357
West Sussex
daily-mail-mo-farah-funny.jpg
 










hans kraay fan club

The voice of reason.
Helpful Moderator
Mar 16, 2005
62,759
Chandlers Ford
I've no problem with him being classed as British , but no , he really isn't as "British as the rest of us ".

Much as it may pain you, he has British citizenship and a British passport. Those are the only criteria. He IS as British as you.
 


alfredmizen

Banned
Mar 11, 2015
6,342
Your definition of British is stuck in the last century though. He's as British as the rest of 'us'.
Sombody born in Mogadishu, who didnt come to this country until he was 8 , is never going to be as 'british as the rest of us' no matter how much you might want that to be the case.
 






TWOCHOICEStom

Well-known member
Sep 22, 2007
10,909
Brighton
Sombody born in Mogadishu, who didnt come to this country until he was 8 , is never going to be as 'british as the rest of us' no matter how much you might want that to be the case.

A genuine question - what age would make him as British as the rest of us? Because, personally speaking, I'm not so sure much of my "Britishness" was crafted when I was between the ages of 0 and 8.
 




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