British runner Mo Farah, the world champion and double Olympic gold medallist, will begin his Diamond League season at the Doha 2015 meeting on Friday 15 May, the organising committee announced today.
Farah will compete in the 3000 m in the first of 14 meetings expected during this year’s Diamond League season, marking his first appearance at the Doha meeting.
Farah, considered one of the world’s leading long-distance runners, expressed his happiness at competing in the Doha meeting, saying: “I’ve heard a lot of positive things about the track in Doha, and also about the crowds and the wonderful organisation in Qatar.”
He added: “Competition is always tough in the distance events, so the Doha meeting will be a real test for me at the start of the season. I’m looking forward to putting in a good performance.”
At the London 2012 Olympics, Farah made history as the seventh runner to win gold in both the 5000 m and 10000 m, before repeating the feat the following year at the World Championships in Moscow, becoming the second runner in history to win both titles at the same championships.
In addition to winning both titles at the 2010 and 2014 European Championships, Farah holds the European record for the 1500 m (3:28.81) and the 10000 m (26:46.57).
At the end of last week, Farah added the half-marathon record to his tally after clocking 59:32 at the Lisbon half marathon, becoming the first European runner to break the 60-minute barrier for the distance. A month earlier, he had also set a world indoor two-mile record, covering the distance in 8:03.40.
Major General Dahlan Al Hamad, president of the Qatari and Asian federations and IAAF vice-president, welcomed world champion Mo Farah’s participation at the Doha meeting, saying: “We are delighted to have one of the world’s and the Olympics’ greatest champions at our meeting this year. Mo Farah’s presence will guarantee us an outstanding distance race, as we have always come to expect.”
In Doha, Farah will face fierce competition in a race that will naturally also see an exciting battle between Kenyan and Ethiopian runners.
The leading Ethiopian runner set to take part in the Doha meeting will be Hagos Gebrhiwet, the 2013 World Championships 5000 m silver medallist, who also won the 3000 m at the 2013 Doha meeting, setting what remains his career-best time of 7:30.36.
Also present will be his compatriot Yenew Alamirew, 24, who holds the meeting record for the same race in Doha, having clocked 7:27.26 in the 2011 edition, which is also his personal best.
They will naturally be backed by their 17-year-old compatriot Yomif Kejelcha, considered one of the promising names in distance running, being the 2013 World Youth champion in the 3000 m, the 2014 World Junior champion in the 5000 m, and also the 2014 Youth Olympic gold medallist in the 3000 m.
Kenya’s champions in Doha
Meanwhile, Kenya’s leading runner at the Doha meeting will be Isiah Kiplangat Koech, the 2013 World Championships bronze medallist, who also competed in the London Olympics final.
Alongside him will be his compatriot Thomas Longosiwa, the 2012 London Olympics bronze medallist, who will be making his sixth appearance at the Doha meeting.
Among the promising Kenyan names also set to be in Doha is Caleb Ndiku, the current World Indoor 3000 m champion and Diamond League 3000 m/5000 m title holder.
Other names cannot be ruled out as contenders for the race title, such as veteran runner Edwin Soi, the 2008 Beijing Olympics 5000 m bronze medallist, who set his career-best time at the 2011 Doha meeting, covering the distance in 7:27.55 to finish second behind Alamirew.
Competition may also come from other names, with Bahraini runner Albert Rop, holder of the Asian records for the indoor 3000 m (7:38.77) and the outdoor 5000 m (12:51.96), also set to take part.
