Mo Farah celebrates knighthood with ‘Mobot’ outside Buckingham Palace
SIR MO FARAH struck his trademark ‘Mobot’ pose to celebrate his knighthood.
The four-time Olympic champion was honoured at Buckingham Palace for his services to athletics on Tuesday.
And he celebrated his gong with his wife Tania after dropping to one knee in front of the Queen.
Farah wore pinstripe trousers with a tophat and tails, plus a cream waistcoat and blue tie.
Sir Mo said: “As an eight-year-old coming from Somalia and not speaking a word of English, to be recognised by your country, it is incredible.
“Over the years you dream of becoming something or doing something in your career, to take it to the highest level and become an Olympic champion – that was always the dream.
On being handed the honour by the Queen, Sir Mo said she told him he has been “going too long” and asked him if he has retired.
Farah added: “I said ‘no, I am going to run the London Marathon – I want to go into roads’. She said that’s marvellous.
Quizzed on whether he had taught the monarch to do the Mobot, letting out a loud chuckle, he said no as it is “far too rude – not in Buckingham Palace”.
He added: “I’ve got myself a season ticket for Arsenal. So when I come back I am going to enjoy it – back fully into London life.
“It is a special occasion for my wife too, she is that person who always supports me and put up with me for so many years.”
Farah, who called time on his track career at the end of the summer, is moving back to London from the United States to concentrate on running road marathons.
He quit track athletics after winning gold in the 10,000m at the 2017 World Championships in London.
And he has told British Athletics chiefs he now wants to challenge for a marathon medal at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
Farah was among 15 athletes yesterday granted main lottery funding for the next year despite the fact he may not compete for Britain at a championships in 2018.
British performance director Neil Black said: “He is very positive about running the marathon in Tokyo.
“His words are, ‘As long as I am fit, healthy and competitive, I will run’.
“He has always said he loves competing for his country and he loves winning medals. And as we all know, he is pretty good at both of those.”
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In his 2014 debut over 26.2 miles in London, Farah finished eighth in 2hr 8min 21sec, four minutes behind winner Wilson Kipsang.
But he knows championship marathons are usually slower than the big city races and that he has more chance of winning them.
Black added: “There’s absolutely no doubt he can be competitive in a championship race. I think he can run significantly faster than in 2014.
“It was a unanimous decision to give him funding. There is the possibility that he could represent the British team at a major championship over the marathon distance in the future.”
