London Marathon: Defiant Mo Farah bullish over chances this weekend
Mo Farah is bullish over his chances in the London Marathon on Sunday despite collapsing in New York last month.
Last Updated: 08/04/14 6:37pm
The 2012 double Olympic gold medallist, making his London Marathon debut, came second at the New York Half Marathon last month but fell unconscious for several minutes at the finishing line in temperatures of minus-three degrees Celsius.
There was concern over his participation in this weekend's race, which he is the Sky Bet second favourite to win, but Farah remains bullish about his fitness and will throw himself straight back in the deep end as "That's what champions do".
Farah said: "Not by any chance will what happened in New York affect me.
"You don't get it the easy way. On Sunday my first aim is to go after the British record and see what comes along with it, but mainly to try and respect the distance.
"The reason why I collapsed afterwards was because I gave it all that I could. I could see stars because I was out of it completely and afterwards - that's what happens.
"I'm fine, I picked up no injuries and I feel good but I'm glad something happened in New York than in London. I've gone straight in the deep end - that's what champions do."
Farah captured the hearts of the nation when he won gold in the 5,000 and 10,000 metres at the Olympics but he has since turned his attentions to the ultimate distance.
And after almost two years of arduous work, including a recent high-altitude, hot-weather training camp in Kenya, the 31-year-old believes victory this weekend would out-do his achievements at London 2012.
"It would be higher than the Olympics because in terms of the people in the race it's incredible.," he said. "From world record holders to all the guys who can easily run a marathon in two hours and five minutes, there are so many are capable of winning it, which will make it a tough race."