Olympic champ Farah unfazed by flummoxed reporter

LOS ANGELES (AFP) –

This file photo shows Britain’s double Olympic gold medallist Mo Farah making his trademark ‘Mobot’ gesture on a float in London, on September 10, 2012. Farah, the 5,000 metres and 10,000 metre champ in the 2012 Summer Olympics, on Sunday won the New Orleans Rock ‘n’ Roll half-marathon in record time of 61 minutes.

Double Olympic gold medallist Mo Farah appeared perplexed but kept his poise after being asked by a New Orleans television presenter if he had ever run before.

Britain’s Farah, the 5,000 metres and 10,000 metre champ in the 2012 Summer Olympics, won the New Orleans Rock ‘n’ Roll half-marathon in record time which earned him a live interview with local WSDU television reporter LaTonya Norton.

“Now haven’t you run before?” asked Norton, who also confused the half-marathon with the marathon. “Haven’t you run before? This isn’t your first time.”

Farah grinned and said he had competed in half-marathons previously but this was his first appearance in New Orleans.

The good-natured Somali-born Farah modestly made no mention in the Sunday interview — which provoked a spate of internet chatter — of his London gold medal heroics.

Farah won the race in a British national record time of 61 minutes, also a record for the course.

Farah recently announced he would run just half of this year’s London Marathon before attempting the full course in 2014.

His coach Alberto Salazar has said he believes Farah could compete in the marathon at the 2016 Games in Rio.