Olympic champion Mo Farah to make track comeback in 10,000

LONDON (AP) — Olympic champion Mo Farah is returning to the track and wants to defend his 10,000-meter title at next year’s Tokyo Games.

Announcing his plans on his YouTube channel on Friday, Farah said: “I’m really excited to be competing. I’m back on the track.”

Farah is a four-time Olympic gold medalist who won the 5,000-10,000 double at both the 2012 London Olympics and 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games. He switched his focus to the marathon and road races after a farewell 5,000 victory at the Diamond League finals in Zurich in August 2017.

“I hope I haven’t lost my speed,” said the 36-year-old British runner, won the Chicago Marathon in 2018.

Farah’s announcement came one day after UK Athletics said it asked a lawyer to lead a review of its work with banned track coach Alberto Salazar and the Nike Oregon Project.

Salazar worked with Farah from 2011-17, spanning his era of Olympic dominance, and was hired to advise UKA’s endurance program in 2013.

Salazar was banned for four years by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency last month for experiments with supplements and testosterone that were bankrolled and supported by Nike, along with possessing and trafficking testosterone.

Farah was not implicated by USADA, and Salazar denies wrongdoing.

Salazar has filed an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The case is unlikely to be judged before the Tokyo Olympics open on July 24. The men’s 10,000 final is set for July 31.

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