British Olympic hero Mo Farah claims he’s worried he won’t be allowed back into the US to see his wife and kids next month
SIR MO FARAH admits he still has concerns about being allowed back into the USA to see his wife and kids next month.
Farah was forced to speak out last month after Donald Trump's 'Muslim travel ban' was imposed on seven countries including Somalia where the four-time Olympic champion was born.
The distance ace was training in Ethiopia at the time and feared he would not be able to get home to Portland in the USA where he is based with his wife and four children.
His criticism of the ban prompted Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson to seek clarification from Trump that British citizens would not be affected, even if they had been born in the countries affected.
But Farah, who competes over 5,000m at the Birmingham Indoor Grand Prix today, still fears there may be problems when he finally returns to to the USA next month.
He first flies back to Ethiopia on Sunday for another block of training as he warms-up for the World Championships in London this summer where he plans to defend his 10,000m and 5,000m titles.
The 33-year-old often had issues at American immigration even before Trump came to power and the President is due to announce a new executive order next week after a federal appeals court refused to re-instate the ban.
Farah said: "Yes, I have concerns when I go back. I've had issues before although hopefully it will be fine.
"I'm not going back yet as I have to do a bit more training but I do have to go back in March and see my family and at that point we will see.
"What happened last month was crazy and unfair. It directly affected me overnight when Trump brought the policy in.
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"That's why I stood up and spoke out. They have made changes for people like me but the hard part was living in the US for six years and going to a training camp and overnight hearing the news I can't go back and see my kids.
"That was scary for me and it was important for me to speak out. There are a lot of innocent people out there with kids...people who couldn't say anything."
Farah also nodded in agreement today as American 110m hurdles star Arles Merritt, the reigning world-record holder and London 2012 Olympic champion, who was sat beside him in Birmingham, said: "The way that Trump's administration has been running is not normal.
"We have seen a lot of deceit, a lot of lies and slander and it's not something that makes me proud to be an American at this point.
"But hopefully Congress and the Senate will keep him in check as best as they can."
Saturday's outing will be Farah's last indoors as he plans to retire from the track after the World Championships and step up to the marathon event.
He also insists he is in better shape than last month when he could only finish seventh at the Great Cross Country event in Edinburgh.
He said: "Edinburgh wasn't where I wanted to be but it was kind of a wake-up call.
"There are a lot of athletes out there who are training hard and want to beat you so I knew I had to get back to basics at a training camp.
"The last four weeks have gone well in Ethiopia and I want to test myself here, see where I am and definitely produce a better performance than Edinburgh."
* RISING sprint star Dina Asher-Smith, the European 200m champion and Olympic 4x100m bronze medallist in Rio, is expected to be out for six weeks after breaking her ankle in her final training session for the 60m in Birmingham on Saturday.