Allegations mar Mo Farah's final US race

British Olympic champion Mo Farah will run the last track race of his career in the United States when he faces a high-quality field in the 5,000 metres.

As he prepares for his final track race on United States soil on Saturday, Mo Farah remains dogged by doping allegations surrounding his team.

The British Olympic champion will race in the 5,000 metres at the Prefontaine Classic, the only US stop in the elite Diamond League series.

Farah has said that 2017 will be his last year on the track, with an eye on the World Championships in London this August.

After that the 34-year-old plans to transition to marathons.

Farah defended his 5,000m and 10,000m titles at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics last August, becoming the first British track and field athlete to win four Olympic gold medals.

He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth last December.

However, at a news conference for the Prefontaine, Farah faced questions about allegations that paint his team, Nike's Oregon Project, in a bad light.

Details have emerged from a 2016 report prepared by the US Anti-Doping Agency on practices by the team, led by decorated US marathoner Alberto Salazar.

"I just get sick of it, really, to be honest with you," Farah said.

"As an athlete you just want to do the best as you can, and that's what I want to do; but it's nothing new.

Allegations have also surfaced recently based on information obtained by the hacking group known as Fancy Bears.

"Being an Olympic champion, four-time Olympic champion, you do get a lot of that stuff," Farah said.

"But at the same time you just have to do the best that you can.

"I believe in clean sports."

He said he has not read the USADA report that has appeared online.

"It's nothing new. You tell me something new. Since 2011 it's the same stuff," Farah said.

Farah has been training for the past five months in Flagstaff, Arizona, for the outdoor season and his final bow at the Worlds - where he hopes to run both of his signature races.

Saturday's Prefontaine will be bittersweet.

"I don't like to think like that, but it will be, my last," he said.

"It will probably be very emotional knowing that will be my last track racing in the U.S.

"But you know, tomorrow (I) just can't be worrying about anything. I just have to concentrate on the race and getting the job done."

Farah will be part of a stellar field that includes Paul Chelimo, the 5,000m silver medalist in Rio, and Kenyan Paul Tanui, the Rio silver medallist in the 10,000m.


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Source: AAP



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