The British athlete Mo Farah presented to Porgentillais on April 07, 23 © Gabonactu.com
British professional athlete Mo Farah, who will be on track this Saturday April 08, 2023 at the 5th edition of the 10 KM of Port-Gentil, demonstrated Friday in a pre-race press conference, its determination to compete in endurance with the Kenyan and Ethiopian runners, undisputed champions of previous editions.
“We will have an extraordinary race, I came to enjoy it, it’s an exciting moment for me to race for the first time in Africa, I will try to take up the challenge”, Mr. Farah made clear.
Mo Farah, is considered “the greatest British athlete of all time”. From his heavy track record, he was the winner of the 10 KM in London in 2010 with an enticing time of 27 minutes 44 seconds. In 2012 and 2016, was respectively Olympic champion of 5000m and 10000m. performances that add to those of world champion in the 10,000m in London in 2017, world champion in the 5,000m and 10,000 in Moscow in 2013 and Beijing in 2015.
The British champion will have a tough battle with the Kenyans Emmanuel Kiprop and Daniel Kosen, respectively 2th of the 10 KM of Lille in 2023 (27:13) and 3th in the 10 KM of Valence in 2023 (27:01). Considered as favorites also, the Ethiopians will be in ambush. These include Yassin Haji, winner of the Lille 10 KM in 2022 (27:00) and 4th in the 10 KM of Port-Gentil in 2022 with a time of 28 minutes 31 seconds which he will have to improve and Chimdesa Debele, 2th of the 10 KM of Valence in 2022 (27:10).
The prestigious British athlete, Mo Farah, took advantage of his stay in Port-Gentil to have fun with the students of the state high school to whom the basketballs were distributed by the organizers. A visit full of symbol that might arouse vocations among young people, to practice running.
For this edition, 13,000 runners (amateurs and professionals) of 37 nationalities will take part in this international race, the fastest in Africa, now labeled “Gold” by World Athletics.
Sydney IVEMBI, Special Envoy
