21st December 2011

FARAH ANNOUNCED AS OLYMPIC ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

21 December 2011

The British Olympic Association (BOA) has today announced Mo Farah as Athletics’ 2011 Olympic Athlete of the Year.

The award was introduced in 2005, to mark the BOA’s Centenary Year and the success of London being awarded the 2012 Olympic Games. The BOA presented a trophy to each of the 33 summer and winter Olympic sports for them to award on an annual basis to their top performing athlete of the year.

Farah has been recognised for an incredible year which saw him win 5,000m gold at the World Championships in Daegu – which was not only the biggest distance win by a European male since Ireland’s Eamonn Coghlan at the Worlds in 1983 but the first long distance gold won by a British male at a global championships – and World silver in the 10,000m.

Andy Hunt, Team GB Chef de Mission and BOA Chief Executive said:
“The Olympic Athlete of the Year award celebrates the excellence of athletes who represent the very best of British talent in their respective Olympic sports. I wish all the award winners the very best as they enter the home straight of their preparations for London 2012, or continue their journey towards Sochi 2014.”

Mo has also been shortlisted in BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year. Find out more here.