Sir Mo Farah is not allowing himself to worry about the cancellation of the Olympics and insists he will be prepared to race in Tokyo next year.
The Games, scheduled for this summer, were postponed last week due to the coronavirus pandemic and will now be held from July 23 – August 8, 2021.
That delay could cause concerns for athletes in terms of preparation but four-time Olympic gold medallist Farah says they have to now look forward and believes it was the right decision.
"Dear Fellow athletes, you can be sure that you can make your Olympic dream come true." – IOC President addresses athletes of the world. #StayStrong, #Olympics, #Tokyo2020. https://t.co/8gs256l6tR @Athlete365 pic.twitter.com/IA8LEnsNLy — IOC MEDIA (@iocmedia) March 24, 2020
Speaking on TalkSPORT, Farah said: "The Olympics was about the last thing to get cancelled. In a way obviously it's disappointing it has been cancelled but I am glad it has been cancelled.
"In a way we could have been in a far worse situation, there are no races leading up to it, athletes can't test themselves.
"I would probably need about six, seven, eight races beforehand to see what kind of shape I am in. It is what it is and it gives us another year of preparation.
"At the moment, nobody is thinking about that. I am still running every day, just trying to get through this crisis time.
"It is not just sport, it is affecting everything we do. It is a difficult situation for everyone and particularly for the older people, the more vulnerable.
"We just have to stay together, stay strong. We just have to get through this. It is a test for everywhere in the world and it is growing."
Farah, who won gold in both the 5,000m and 10,000m at each of the last two Olympics, will be 38 by the time the rearranged Games take place.
But he is insists that is not on his mind, saying: "I am not thinking about age or anything I am just thinking about what I need to do.
"You just have to deal with it when it comes. There is nothing we can do as athletes, just think about the next year and focus on that.
"Obviously it is disappointing and for athletes who might be thinking 'this is my only time'. Every athlete wants to go there and they don't just want to go there, they want to go there in the best possible shape.
"There are a lot of athletes in great shape who were expecting to do well.
"At the same time, we can't change that. It is what it is, it's not just me, it's athletes all around the world."
