The Malta Independent 25 April 2024, Thursday
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Mo Farah's robbery claims disputed by Haile Gebrselassie

Associated Press Thursday, 25 April 2019, 00:08 Last update: about 6 years ago

Mo Farah was preparing to leave the news conference when he decided to get something off his chest.

"I am disappointed with Haile," Farah said Wednesday.

The four-time Olympic champion was referring to retired running great Haile Gebrselassie and the hotel group bearing his name in Ethiopia.

Farah said he had been staying at the YaYa Africa Athletics Village for three months when his room was robbed on his 36th birthday last month.

A locked case had been opened. Two phones were taken. A watch given to him by his wife was gone. So, too, was his cash.

"Someone in reception had given my key to someone and someone has gone in and opened my room and opened my suitcase," Farah told The Associated Press ahead of Sunday's London Marathon. "It was locked on a code. And someone taken my two phones, taken my money, taken my watch that my wife got me that you can't buy.

"The hotel never took responsibility or ... (did) anything to get my stuff back. I asked them, they got the police involved. They said they arrested some five guys, they were released."

Gebrselassie issued a statement in response disputing the "unproven claim of robbery" and said "my lawyers will deal with the matter."

In a statement, the double Olympic champion criticized Farah's conduct during the stay and claimed he had left without paying a $3,000 bill.

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