Mo Farah pulls out of Commonwealth Games in Glasgow due to illness

Mo Farah pulls out of Commonwealth Games in Glasgow due to illness

Mo Farah has pulled out of the Commonwealth Games due to illness.
Mo Farah has withdrawn from the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow due to illness, and will focus instead on recovering for the European Championships in Zurich.

The news is a major blow to the Games, coming the morning after they launched with a spectacular opening ceremony at Celtic Park.

Team England said Farah would remain at his training base in Font Romeu, rather than travel to Glasgow for the 5,000 and 10,000m.

Farah said: “I have taken the tough decision to withdraw from the Commonwealth Games. The sickness I had two weeks ago was a big setback for me. Training is getting better here in Font Romeu but I need another few weeks to get back to the level I was at in 2012 and 2013.

“I really wanted to add the Commonwealth titles to my Olympic and World Championships but the event is coming a few weeks too soon for me as my body is telling me it’s not ready to race yet. Best wishes to my fellow athletes in Glasgow.”

Team England’s Chef de Mission Jan Paterson said: “It is a real blow for any athlete to miss out on a major championships through injury, but to have fought so hard to regain full fitness and to have to take such a difficult decision at this stage is particularly hard. We wish Mo all the very best and hope to see him back to his peak very soon.”

Farah admitted earlier in the month that he faced a race to recover in time to compete, having pulled out of the Glasgow Grand Prix suffering from abdominal pains.

He said: “I’ve got the all-clear to get back into training, and I’ll see what I can do. I’m just saying where I am right now. My aim is to compete in both events but at the same time I’m getting back into training, I’m having this bit of training, but you know, we’ll make a decision further down the line.”