Runner-up triathlete king Alistair Brownlee amazed Somalia-born Team GB runner who retained his two Olympic titles got just A FIFTH of winner Andy Murray’s votes.
Alistair Brownlee reckons Mo Farah missed out on the BBC Sports Personality of the Year top three once again because “maybe some people don’t see him as British.”
Somalia-born long-distance king Farah came fourth again, behind three Olympic gold medallists, despite winning two golds himself — just like he did in 2012.
The 33 year-old finished third at the awards bash in 2011, but also fourth in 2013 and sixth in 2015.
Farah completed the ‘double double’ in Rio this year, as he retained the 5,000m and 10,000m Olympic titles he won in London four years ago.
That made him Britain’s most successful Olympic track and field athlete of all time.
He also chucked in a 3,000m British record and third successive Great North Run victory during 2016.
Triathlete Sports Personality runner-up Brownlee and third-placed show jumper Nick Skelton both insisted they would have voted for Farah. But he received just over a fifth of the votes winner Andy Murray did.
Brownlee said: “I’m not sure why that is [that he hasn’t made the top three]. It doesn’t necessarily help if you’re not there on the night.
“Maybe some people don’t see him as British.
“He trains abroad, too. It’s really sad, because for me he is the perfect British story.
“It’s what we should be about: a person who comes to Britain as a young man, as a refugee, and an ex-schoolteacher identifies something that he’s brilliant at and he represents Britain as the best in the world.
“I think that’s a fantastic British story. I would have voted for Mo.
“He trains abroad, too. It’s really sad, because for me he is the perfect British story.
“It’s what we should be about: a person who comes to Britain as a young man, as a refugee, and an ex-schoolteacher identifies something that he’s brilliant at and he represents Britain as the best in the world.
“I think that’s a fantastic British story. I would have voted for Mo.
“For me, Mo’s achievements are incredible, and what stands about them is that no one from this country has ever done them before, and there is a good chance that no one will again.
“It’s not like someone does it every year – it is a complete one-off in what are two very competitive, blue-riband athletic events.”
Skelton said: “I would have voted for Mo Farah. What he’s done is amazing, hard work and flogging his body.
“I don’t know, athletics has a big following doesn’t it, probably the athletics fans weren’t watching tonight.
“To win all those double golds, he’s a worthy winner of it.”
Tuesday, December 20, 2016
BY ADRIAN KAJUMBA