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Mo Farah is not European so his half-marathon best is a ‘record for Somalia’

Mo Farah is not European so his half-marathon best is a ‘record for Somalia’

For  a couple of months now, the British runner Mo Farah has been embroiled in a row over his nationality.

Mo Farah won the latest European competition in record time and this caused much trouble and debate amongst his peers, Fabian Roncero the person who’s record was broken said “what was broken in Lisbon is a record for Somalia”, emphasising that he remains the “fastest born in Europe”, because Farah was born in Somalia before moving to Britain.

 

“Although the official lists say that Mo Farah now holds the half-marathon record, for me the 800m European record holder remains Sebastian Coe, the 1,500m [Spaniard] Fermin Cacho, the 5,000m [German] Dieter Baumann and 10,000m [Portuguese] Antonio Pinto,” said Roncero.

“For me, an athlete who was born in Kenya is Kenyan and one born in Somalia is Somali forever, and that is the opinion of the people with whom I speak,” continued Roncero.
“Besides, I am convinced that 95 per cent of athletes still feel nationalised by their country of origin.”

“I have nothing against Africans,” he added. “On the contrary, I consider them superior to European runners but with respect to the records, I say what I feel and I will never lie.
“Farah is a great athlete but for me the records in Europe are what make European athletes.”

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