The Athletes Hoping To Continue Mo Farah’s Legacy

The Athletes Hoping To Continue Mo Farah’s Legacy
09:05, 15 Aug 2017

Last week marked the end of an era for Mo Farah and British athletics. The 34-year-old ran his final track race in a major event, settling for silver in the 5000 meters at the world championships. It was an emotional experience for onlookers inside the London Stadium as the search begins for the next star of the sport.

During Farah’s career, he claimed a total of four Olympic and six World Championship gold medals. A YouGov survey named his double triumph at the 2016 Rio Games the stand out moment of the entire Olympics for the British public. Illustrating how he has managed to become a heavyweight in the world of sport.

"There are athletes out there who have won more medals, but the quality of those medals and for Mo to have led an event on his own... wow. I don't know how you can't see him as our greatest ever athlete," former sprinter Darren Campbell told BBC Sport.

As the Somali-born Brit prepares for the challenges of the marathon, his teammates are already trying to fill the void. Last week in London Team GB achieved 11 top-four finishes with a total of six medals. Out of those medals, two were won by Farah. He was the only Brit to claim an individual medal, but it doesn't necessarily reflect on the current state of British track and field. 

The next generation

Laura Muir has already established herself as a world class athlete at the age of 24. At this year’s European Indoor Championships, she won both the 1500m and 3000m title. Impressively, she broke both championship records, including one that was set back in 1985. Last year she ran a 1500M race in 3:55.22 to become the quickest British female athlete of all time over the distance.

"I think I've got at least two, even three more Olympics in me. What events? I don't know. Certainly, so much scope for the future," she said.

Besides Muir’s athletic ability, she also inspires many with her academic dedication. The Scot is studying for a degree in Veterinary medicine at Glasgow University and will miss next year’s Commonwealth Games due to exams.

Middle distance runner Kyle Langford grew up living opposite boxer Anthony Joshua. Now the 21-year-old is bidding to create some sporting history of his own. Last week in London, he missed out on a medal by just 0.04 seconds. An impressive achievement for somebody who entered the event as the 40th best 800M runner in the world. Langford now finds himself in the media spotlight, an opportunity he hopes to capitalize on.

"I'm not saying I'm going to overtake Mo or dominate like him, but it's more that I would love to fill his boots," he told the Press Association. "I feel like I can. I'm not going to say I've got the personality - I hope I do - but people can probably relate to me.”

"Hopefully with my personality, I can get other people involved in athletics. My aim is not to just win Olympic gold or get a world record or be the face of the sport, it's to try to get people involved,” Langford added.

Dina Asher Smith broke her foot at the start of the year in a training accident. Less than six months later, she finished fourth in the women’s 200M world championship final. The best performance by a British woman in the discipline since Kathy Cook in 1983. She was also part of the women’s 4x100M relay team, who won silver in London.

"Dina is just a lovely member of the team," Race Walker Tom Bosworth stated in The Telegraph.  "It's frustrating because she is so bright, so athletic and has it all."

As far as men’s sprinting is concerned, talent is shining brightly. Britain won gold in the 4x100M relay. Three out of those four members are only 23-years-old and have already broken the 10-second milestone - Adam Gemili, Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake and Chijindu Ujah.

A British athlete emulating Farah’s achievements might still be far away, but there is hope for the future. The legacy left by the 34-year-old is unquestionable, but only time will tell if it has had any impact on the rising stars of the sport. A waiting game that will be filled with both apprehension and excitement.

British medals won at the 2017 World Athletics Championships

GOLD - Mo Farah (10,000 M)
GOLD - Men’s relay (4x100M)
SILVER - Mo Farah (5000M)
SILVER - Women’s relay (4x100M)
SILVER - Women’s relay (4x400M)
BRONZE - Men’s Relay (4x400M)

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