MO PROBLEMS
Runner claims Sir Mo Farah ‘punched him in neck’ in fight at Haile Gebrselassie’s hotel gym just days before London Marathon
OLYMPIC hero Sir Mo Farah has been accused of punching a fellow runner in the neck during a bust-up in a hotel gym, it was reported last night.
The flare-up is said to have been sparked when the Brit star, 36, and his team accused the Ethiopian athlete and his wife of "spying" on his elite training regime.
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The revelation is the latest claim in a running spat between Farah and legendary Ethiopian distance runner Haile Gebrselassie, who owns the hotel where Farah claimed his suitcase was looted.
Now theone of the alleged gym "fight" victims was a 10,000m runner called Sisay Tsegaye.
He has claimed he was training his wife, Dagmawit Kibiru, 22, when they were confronted by members of Farah's entourage.
Tsegaye said: "In the middle of that, Mo hit me from behind on my neck. I was angry so a brawl erupted."
However, it's claimed the Brit Olympic hero was only defending himself against a woman who came at him with 5kg dumbbells.
His coach Gary Lough said the altercation with the woman was sparked by a row over the Brit runner's training plan and escalated when a female "threatened to throw" the weights at him
Lough was with Farah and his training partner Abi Bashir in Ethiopa when the incident occurred however Gebrselassie was reportedly not present.
How the row has run and run:
- Mo Farah claimed his suitcase was broken into and a watch and cash was taken
- He claimed track legend Haile Gebrselassie failed to help recover the stolen items
- Gebrselassie claimed he urged police to drop charges against Farah over a gym fight
- Farah's coach says he was defending himself after a woman came at him with dumbbells
- Gebrselassie claimed that the British star failed to pay his £2,170 hotel service bill
Lough told the Evening Standard: "I'm doing an exercise, I turn round and this guy comes over threateningly as if he’s going to attack Bashir and Mo tries to defend Bashir and hits the other guy.
"So, they’re grappling a little bit and the woman comes running and Mo turns round not knowing who it is and she got hit on the arm.
"She had two 5kg weights in her hands and was threatening to throw them at him. So I shout, ‘Put those things the f*** down or you’ll be in jail.
"Hotel security did nothing. She’s in the local police so she runs to them but we got the chief of the federal police involved.
"There were lengthy statements and police reports, and Haile’s just relying on hearsay as he wasn’t there."
Last night Tsegaye denied his wife was hit and said the clash had been resolved by a female marathon runner who was present.
He added: “I’m on good terms now with Mo.”
The latest twist came after Farah said he had a watch, two phones and £2,600 in cash taken from his room at the resort on his birthday on March 23.
Farah has even released a video of a suitcase he claims staff at Gebrselassie's hotel stole from as he hit back at claims he had a brawl with a couple.
The case - said to have been looted on the star's 36th birthday - is at the centre of a spiralling verbal bust-up between two of the greatest distance runners in history.
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The sport spat started when Sir Mo claimed a Tag Heuer watch and £2,600 in cash were stolen from a bag in his hotel room.
Former world champ Gebrselassie owns the hotel in the Yaya Africa Athletics Village near Abbis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Farah posted a video on Instagram to back up claims his case was ransacked while he was out.
On the clip he states: "This is the bag that has been broken into. As you can they tried different numbers and it has been opened..broken into."
Gebrselassie previously claimed Farah started the fight in the gym.
He told the : "Farah said to him, 'Why are you following me?'. The guy said he wasn't – and that he was just doing his work.
";Immediately Farah punched them and kicked them by foot. Especially the husband. There were lots of witnesses.
"He cannot deny it because there was enough people inside the gym who saw the action."
THREATENING BEHAVIOUR
That claim has again been disputed by Farah, whose spokesperson released a statement today.
It read: "As stated already Mo disputes Haile Gebrselassie's claims.
"There was an incident at the gym a number of weeks ago, at which Haile was not present but it was categorically not of Mo's making.
"He immediately raised a complaint to the highest level within the Police force. The individuals concerned were warned that any further threatening behaviour towards Mo would result in police action.
"This incident highlights again the failure by hotel management to take safety seriously."
Ethiopian Gebrselassie , 46, claims the British Olympic hero, 36, was reported to the police over his "disgraceful conduct" while staying at his hotel.
His staff claim they reported Mo to police for "attacking" a married athlete and his wife in the complex's gym.
Gebrselassie, who is a double Olympic 10,000m gold medallist, also claims that the British star failed to pay his £2,170 service bill even after he was allegedly given a 50 per cent discount.
Sir Mo Farah strongly denies the allegations made against him.
The bitter public spat began when Farah, 36, claimed on Instagram that he lost two phones, a watch and £2,500 when his travel bag was ransacked .
He said Gebrselassie had failed to investigate the alleged theft properly and ignored his text messages.
Mo, who is in training for Sunday's London Marathon, immediately moved out of the hotel as he “didn’t feel comfortable” insisting he tried to contact Haile.
Gebrselassie hit back on Twitter accusing the Somalia-born Londoner of "blackmail" and "defaming" his reputation and business.
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Gebrselassie also claimed a criminal charge was filed against Mo after the alleged assault, but the case was dropped because of his own intervention.
Mo said he returned from a run on March 23 to find his case busted open and items stolen.
He believes staff members used a hotel key to steal his money and belongings, including the expensive Tag Heuer watch, from his room which allegedly had a faulty safe.
Five people were arrested in relation to the alleged robbery but were released without charge.
Gebrselassie said hotel guests are told to declare if they are carrying cash over £271 and are given the option of using a safe box or giving it to the staff for safe-keeping.
He claims that Mo chose to hold onto his money meaning the hotel is not legally accountable for it.
According to the Ethiopian runner, Londoner Mo sent him a text accusing him of not making “any effort to find my stolen money and especially my watch.”
The alleged text added: “Know that I am not responsible for what I say during the press moment in London and what influence will it have on your personality and that of your business.
“Greetings from a very disappointed friend... Sir Mo.”
Haile has accused Mo of “blackmail” by allegedly sending him the message.
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Sir Mo is adamant the row will not distract him as he aims to be the first British man in 26 years to win the London Marathon.
His spokesman said he is disappointed by Gebrselassie’s response and “continued reluctance by the hotel and its owner to take responsibility for this robbery”.
He also denied the extraordinary attack allegations made against Mo.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Brit runner said: "Mo is disappointed with this statement and the continued reluctance by the hotel and its owner to take responsibility for this robbery.
"Mo disputes all of these claims which are an effort to distract from the situation, where members of his hotel staff used a room key and stole money and items from Mo Farah's room (there was no safe as it was faulty, and Mo requested a new one).
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"Police reports confirm the incident and the hotel admitted responsibility and were in contact with Mo's legal advisor.
"The hotel even offered to pay Mo the amount stolen, only to withdraw the offer when he prematurely left the hotel and moved to other accommodation, due to security concerns.
"Despite many attempts to discuss this issue privately with Mr Gebrselassie, he did not respond but now that he has, we would welcome him or his legal team getting in touch so that this matter can be resolved."
Mo previously spoke about the alleged ransacking of his room at a media event before the London Marathon.
He said: "Just to be honest, it's Haile who owns the hotel and when you stay for three months in that hotel, it was very disappointing to know that someone who has that hotel and that kind of support couldn't do nothing."
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Mo Farah robbed of luxury watch and £2,500 cash in Ethiopia
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