Mo Farah cannot promise Team GB another Olympic double – but he will line up at London 2017

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For the boy who grew up in Hounslow, London 2012 was the fitting stage that saw him kickstart his illustrious track career — and it will be there that it ends.

While Daegu saw him claim his first global title in 2011, back then the cloak of invincibility was not quite there, Farah losing out to Ibrahim Jeilan over 10,000metres before bouncing back for his first major title in the 5,000m.

In London 2012, Farah achieved the first of his trademark double golds — a feat he has repeated every season since: at World, European and, here once more, Olympic level.

Farah has committed to sticking to the track for another year, with a possible double golden farewell in the capital at next year’s World Championships. On the evidence of the past week, it is hard to see where his challenge will come from, so dominant has he been on the track in Rio.

The 33-year-old knows the expectations of a home crowd will be enormous but, battered and bruised — quite literally, following a fall in the 10,000m — he understandably has no idea what shape he will be in in a year’s time.

Of that potential golden double in London, Farah told Standard Sport more in hope than expectation: “I think one gold would be enough for the crowd, wouldn’t it?”

If anything, the greatest obstacle to a golden finale on the track before turning his attention once more to marathon running is time. While Farah still looks in prime physical condition, the training regime under coach Alberto Salazar has become tougher and tougher to endure.

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“Of course I want to [achieve that London double], but it’s just my body,” said Farah, whose blistering final lap in the 5,000m in the early hours of Sunday morning saw him achieve his golden double. “I’m 33 years old. It’s up to what my body allows me to do. I’m not in control of my body, I’m not in control of myself.

Photo: Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images
ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images

“It takes me that much longer to recover on certain days in training, allowing extra days here and there for that sort of thing. I just have to listen to my body, but I’ll just have to continue what I’m doing and hope that works out.”

Farah also hinted his marathon plans could even potentially see him run a 26.2-mile race next season, although not until after until the World Championships, thereby ruling out a stab at the 2017 London Marathon.

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But if that plan proves successful, he should once again line up on the streets of the capital, as he did in 2014 for an experiment in which he came up just short of his highest expectations after setting his sights on breaking the British record of 2hr 7min 13sec, set by Steve Jones in Chicago 31 years ago.

Farah added: “I’d like to be able to do one maybe in 2017 after the Worlds, but we’ll see how it goes.

“I believe I need to run a couple of key marathons. When I did the London Marathon, I felt I went straight in at the deep end and, to be honest, I struggled.”

There is still doubt in Farah’s mind that he may not have what it takes to become a leading marathon runner, his springy style of running better suited to the track than the road, according to many of his peers.

But, for now, the goal is London 2017 and ensuring the trademark double is wrapped up at what will undoubtedly be his track farewell.

“You will definitely see me on the track in London in 2017,” Farah said. “I owe it to the people, to the public. So many people have been behind me, so I’m going to line up no matter what — you will see me on the track, half-injured or whatever. You will see me.”

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