We'll beat Mo Farah to Rio Olympic gold, say confident Kenyans

Kenya's 10,000 metres duo Bedan Karoki and Paul Tanui reckon they have identified what it takes to finally overhaul British double Olympic and world champion Mo Farah, who has twice denied them a major title with his fast finishes.

Farah, who won both the 5,000m and 10,000m at the 2012 London Games, repeated the feat at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing with a devastating kick on the final lap that left his rivals in his wake.

"He has always beaten us in the last lap, but we have worked on that and hope to turn the tables against him this time in Rio," Karoki, 25, said.

"We are very good in lapping – indeed much better than him – but he waits until it matters most, and that is what we have worked on this time.

Olympic Games Paris 2024

‘It’s crazy’ – Edwards amazed world record still stands, hails ‘athletic god’ Bolt

17/04/2024 at 10:52

"He is the only major threat and I am sure we will beat him," added Karoki, who finished fifth at the London Games and won silver at this year's World Half Marathon and last year's World Cross Country Championships.

Britain's Mo Farah has dominated in major meetings against the Kenyans

Image credit: AFP

The other two Kenyan representatives are Geoffrey Kamworor, silver medalist at last year's World Championships in Beijing, and Tanui, who claimed bronze.

And the men’s distance runners aren’t the only Kenyan athletes aiming to settle a few scores with perennial opponents at next month's Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Former world 800m champion Eunice Sum has also warned South Africa's Caster Semenya, who has emerged as a top contender for the title, to prepare for the battle of her life.

Sum is confident the Kenyan contingent will give South African Semenya "a run for her money", despite her impressive return to form in the Diamond League in Doha in April and show-stopping performance in Monaco earlier this month.

"People think nobody can stop her this year, but people are training," Sum said. “We are training. We will give her a run for her money. Olympics are different from the (Diamond League) circuit.

"The 800m is a highly tactical race. When people thought I was a favourite last year, it turned out quite differently. I got bronze. In the 2008 Olympics, Janeth (Jepkosgei) was the favourite, only for Pamela Jelimo to win the gold."

Olympic Games Paris 2024

Exclusive: Olympic champion Barshim 'hides' medals in bid to become 'high jump great'

17/04/2024 at 08:37

Olympic Games Paris 2024

Exclusive: 'The last gold I haven't got' – Asher-Smith on Paris Olympics dream

17/04/2024 at 06:46

Athletics

Hug on overcoming collision with barrier to win men's wheelchair race at Boston Marathon

00:01:40

|

15/04/2024 at 18:42