Mo Farah given the all-clear to train and should be fit for Glasgow

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/jul/15/mo-farah-commonwealth-games-glasgow-james-dasaolu

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Mo Farah has been given the green light to resume full training and should be fit to run the 5,000m and 10,000m at the Commonwealth Games, which start next week in Glasgow. He pulled out of last weekend’s Diamond League meeting there with abdominal pains which saw him taken to hospital.

Farah, who was named on Tuesday in a 74-strong British squad for the European Championships in Zurich, could even return as soon as this Sunday in a two-mile race at the London Anniversary Games.

British Athletics’ performance director, Neil Black, revealed that Farah got the all clear after a series of tests at the end of last week and said there were “no concerns” that he would be ready. “I expect Mo to be at the Commonwealth Games,” he said. “That’s the plan and there is no reason to think otherwise. He’s been assessed. He’s got a clean bill of health. And he’s incredibly optimistic. He’s had a little challenge. He’s dealt with it. He’s looking forward.”

Farah will be joined at the European Championships by James Dasaolu, who was given the nod for the final spot in the men’s 100m over Chijindu Ujah.

Dasaolu joins Dwain Chambers and Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, who qualified automatically by finishing first and second at the UK trials, while Ujah – who has run 9.96sec, the fastest time by a British athlete this year – has to settle for a place in the men’s 4x100m squad.

Black said it was a “relatively straightforward” decision to choose Dasaolu, who has run only twice outdoors since reaching the final of the world championships in 2013, because of injury. “James has had two 10.03 performances over the last nine days and he was very deserving of the third spot,” he said. “We are all expecting him to run pretty fast and I bet there are a few people worried about him.”

Last week Ujah’s coach, Jonas Tawiah-Dodoo, said he feared Dasaolu would get the nod because of politics – as Dasaolu trains in the British athletics camp in Loughborough while Ujah trains in London. But Black said Ujah had been “very understanding of the circumstances” for his missing out in the individual 100m and was an “incredible talent” for the future.

There were also places in the squad for Dai Greene in the men’s 400m hurdles and Christine Ohuruogu in the women’s 400m – although both are dependent on achieving the qualifying standard by 3 August.

Black said: “Dai has been struggling with a few things throughout the year but “I was really happy to create more time for people who we believe are realistic challengers for medals. Chrissie is taking a lighter year, to rest her body for the world championships and Olympics, but it was her who said: ‘I would really love to give this a shot.’” The last thing I was going to do was to say no.”

Eight athletes will make their senior debut at the Championships, which run from 12-17 August. They include Matthew Hudson-Smith, 19, who smashed his 400m personal best in running 44.97sec last weekend, and the heptathlete Morgan Lake, 17, who is selected for the women’s high jump. Britain’s top heptathlete, Katarina Johnson-Thompson, is to compete in the long jump rather than her main event as the Championships come a week after the Commonwealth Games.

In Barcelona four years ago the British squad came away with 19 medals, including six golds, but Black refused to be drawn on a medal target. However he does expect a strong showing. “There is an expectation for members of this team to be winning medals or challenging hard at the top end in their finals,” he said.

“Especially with youngsters coming through from junior ranks and our experienced medallists performing as strongly as they have in previous years.”