A defiant British athletics great Mo Farah says he made the correct decision not to desert Alberto Salazar when a BBC documentary last year claimed his coach had been involved in doping.
The 33-year-old Somalia-born double Olympic and five-time world champion is in a much more positive frame of mind than when he pulled out of the same event last year on the back of the allegations about Salazar. He was speaking on the eve of the Diamond League meeting in Birmingham, England.
>Read: Farah expects 2017 to be his final year on track
Farah, who had withdrawn last year because he said he felt 'emotionally and physically drained' although he was not accused of anything himself, said he had moved on. "For sure," replied Farah when asked if he had been shown to be right in sticking by Salazar, who has denied any wrongdoing.
'I have moved on'
"It's a new year. What happened last year, I am passed it now. I feel like I have moved on."
Farah, who was questioned by United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) lawyers last year in relation to the Salazar investigation, said despite intensive enquiries nothing concrete had been dug up about Salazar.
"There is some kind of chat or news saying that, 'Oh, everything has been done, there was nothing, and they haven't found nothing' - which all along I knew anyway and that is why I stuck by (Salazar)," said Farah, whose two Olympic golds and five world titles have come since he joined Salazar in 2011.
Farah, who is building up to defend his 5000m and 10,000m Olympic titles in Rio in August, said he didn't think he owed the home fans anything after withdrawing last year. "I don't want to let anyone down. I am very grateful when people come out to support me," said Farah, who nevertheless shrugged off the Salazar cloud and went on to retain his 5000 and 10,000m world titles in Beijing last year.
"It was just in that moment, I felt I wasn't myself, I felt like I couldn't just give what people deserved. It's no point saying, 'I'm going to give it to them' - and then not give it to them. So for me it was a case of, 'Get on the flight.'
"That is all gone now, that was all last year, we have all moved on."
2017 final year
Farah confirmed he would end his track career next year, which includes the world outdoor championships in London at the stadium where he took Olympic gold in 2012, and focus on road racing. "2017 will be my last track year," said Farah.
"I love what I do, I enjoy it, but, as I'm away so much, I really do miss my kids. I am away six months of the year, I am only half there my life. I want to be able to spend more time if I can."
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