Who is Mo Farah? Sports Personality of the Year 2016 contender and four-time Olympic champion

MO FARAH cemented his place as a British legend after his heroic performance in this Summer’s Olympics in Rio.

After winning two gold medals four years ago in the London 2012 Games, he added two more to his name, defending his 5,000m and 10,000m crowns.

The 33-year-old was once again nominated for the Sports Personality of the Year award, and few would argue if he is chosen as winner.

Here is what we know about the sensational athlete.

What’s his background?

Farah was actually born in Somalia, but due to the civil war in the country he was forced to move to England to live with his father at the age of eight.

Despite arriving in Britain speaking barely a word of English, Farah took to life in England and his athletic talent stood out while he was attending Isleworth and Syon School in Hounslow.

But his dream in life was either to play as a right winger for Arsenal, or to become a car mechanic.

How did he get into athletics?

After his talents were spotted by PE teacher Alan Watkinson, he joined the Borough of Hounslow Athletics Club, and represented Hounslow in the London Youth Games.

After finishing ninth as a 13-year-old in the English schools cross-country race, he won the following year, with athletics philanthropist Eddie Kulukundis taking notice.

He eventually paid the legal fees to complete Mo Farah’s naturalisation as a British citizen, allowing him to travel without visa problems.

In 2001 he won the 5,000m at the European Junior Athletics Championship.

How did he perform in the early stages of his senior career?

Farah suffered from inconsistency since becoming a full-time athlete, and after gaining inspiration from living with a group of Kenyan runners, won a silver medal in the European Championship 5,000m event in 2006, before later winning gold at the 2006 European Cross Country Championships in Italy.

However, he couldn’t take that form with him in the 2007 World Championships, as he finished in sixth place in the 5,00om.

He then started to run in 10,000m, and claimed the fastest time for a UK athlete for almost eight years, but in his first Olmypics at Beijing, he failed to qualify for the final in the 5,000m.

What success did he achieve after his disappointing start?

In 2009 he broke the indoor record for a British athlete in the 3,000m, and then broke his own record just a few weeks later.

He won gold in the 3,000m at the European Indoor Championships, but later on in the year in the 5,000m slipped from the leading pack to finish seventh in the World Championships.

After training in Africa, he claimed his first major title after winning in the 10,000m event in the European Championships in 2010, he later would claim gold in the 5,000m.

Farah then became the first Brit to run under 13 minutes in the 5,000m at a Diamond League race.

When did he become the dominant athlete we know him as today?

In 2011 he relocated to Oregon in the USA and began working under new coach Alberto Salazar.

He gained worldwide recognition when he won gold at that year’s World Championships in the 5,000m, where he also collected a silver medal in the 10,000m.

In doing so he became the first British man to win a medal at either distance.

Farah then became a British hero when he won two gold medals in both distances at London 2012, and was awarded a CBE following his success.

In 2013 he carried on his remarkable rise by adding two more World Championship gold in the 5,000m and 10,000m and two years later defended those titles again claiming the top honours in both distances.

The European Championships saw Farah scoop Gold yet again in both distances in 2014.

And this Summer saw him claim the double-double of Olympic Gold medals in the 5,000m and 10,000m, making him Britain’s most decorated Olympic winner.

Does he have his own family?

Farah married his long-term partner Tania Neil in 2010 where guests included the likes of Paula Radcliffe and Jo Pavey.

He has a step-daughter through the marriage, and also has twin daughters and a baby boy.

He has his own twin brother named Hassan, but he never moved to England as he was too ill to travel so stayed with family in Somalia.

When his father went back to collect Hassan, the family had moved and couldn’t be found – it was 12 years before Mo and his brother were reunited.

What does he do outside of athletics?

Farah remains a keen supporter of Arsenal, and has expressed a desire to be the club’s fitness coach once he retires.

In 2012 he became the first person to win the full jackpot of £250,000 on the ITV game show ‘The Cube’ where the money went to the Mo Farah Foundation.

He has published his own autobiography titled ‘Twin Ambitions: My Autobiography’ in 2013, and has written a children’s book called ‘Ready Steady Mo!’