Feature12 Jul 2012


Gay, Farah and Cheruiyot, cool and collected on eve of London GP – Samsung Diamond League

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Mo Farah on the eve of the London Grand Prix (© Mark Shearman)

London, UKTyson Gay, Mo Farah and Vivian Cheruiyot met the press at the Crystal Palace stadium in south London on Thursday, the eve of the Aviva London Grand Prix, the eighth stop on the Samsung Diamond League circuit.

Tyson Gay, second fastest 100m man of all time with 9.68, 2007 World 100m and 200m champion:

On how he’s feeling after beating Justin Gatlin in Paris a week ago:
"I should be good to go here. The jet lag and the race in Paris had me a little more sore than normal. I tried to rest up and will put it back together here."

On making the US Olympic team after missing the 2011 season with a hip injury:
"I’m glad I made the team and I’m managing the situation with my hip. It feels good to be back running well."

On running at Crystal Palace where he clocked 9.78 in rain and a headwind two years ago:
"I always get a good reception here and wouldn’t pass the opportunity to race here and sample the weather."

On whether he still sees Usain Bolt as the man to beat at the Olympics:
"I think so, and that’s just coming from respect. I’ve pushed him or he’s dragged me through the line at major champs so many times. He’s been somewhere no one else has been.

"[Although he lost at the Jamaican championships] he’s still made the team and that’s all that matters. Yohan [Blake] has set the standard, running 9.75."

On what he thinks of Britain’s new world junior champion, Adam Gemili:
"He was phenomenal. I need to get some tips from him. He executed so well, he’s better at things that I’m still working on. He’s got a lot of potential and I think he’s going to be one of the greatest sprinters of all time.

"He should just keep going through the progression, not to put pressure of national records and world records on to him.

"He’s fearless, from what I’ve seen. As long as he stays humble and keeps working hard, the sky’s the limit for him."

Vivian Cheruiyot, World 5000m and 10,000m champion:

On what she expects from her race over 5000m on Friday night:
"I don’t expect to run a great time here. I’m just here to see how my body feels and get ready for the Olympic Games. Tomorrow is only about winning then I go back to Kenya.

"I’m well prepared. There’s only two weeks till the Games and you can’t change anything in two weeks. I’ll come back to London on 30th [July]."

On how confident she is of beating double Olympic champion Tirunesh Dibaba:
"I don’t care if Tirunesh is there. I’m confident. I’ve been so long racing with her. I’m happy she’s back and that we’re going to race each other again.

"She’s training, I’m training. I can’t fear her. If I say I fear someone I could be fifth. I have to be confident."

On what it will mean to win an Olympic gold:
"It means a lot to me because it will complete my circle of medals. It will mean I have all the gold medals.

"I’m excited about the London Games. I love London. It’s like a second home to me because I’ve been coming here to live and train since 2004. It means I’m used to the weather too."

On her chances of winning the double in London:
"I will try my best because this is the first time I’ve done the double at the Olympics. At least I know I’m going to get something. I know I will get at least one medal, maybe I will win both."

Mo Farah, Britain’s World 5000m champion -

On competing at Crystal Palace:
"I’m quite looking forward to competing tomorrow night. It will be a good race. This is my last race before the Olympics and it’s nice to be at Crystal Palace. I have a lot of good memories of this track."

On seeing six men run quicker than his PB in Paris last week:
"I think it was one of those races. I think if those guys can run that time I should be able to go a lot faster too.

"These are the guys I compete against week in, week out. Obviously, the Olympics are going to be a lot more tactical."

On handling the pressure of a home Olympic Games:
"The Olympics don’t come round very often and I get to compete in my home town. But for me it has to be just another race.

"I will go back to Font Romeau [his training base in southern France] and just come back to London three or four days before my race.

"Galen [Rupp, his training partner] will come and join me after Sunday. They’re not staying far from the UK training camp.

On whether he and Rupp will run as a team at the Olympics:
"I want him to do well, he wants me to do well, but what happens during the race, who knows? We haven’t talked about it."

Matthew Brown for the IAAF
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