Gebrselassie backs Farah to target 'golden treble' at 2016 Rio Olympics

Veteran Ethiopian runner Haile Gebrselassie has backed British Olympic champion Mo Farah to target a golden treble at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Farah is the current Olympic and world champion in the 5,000m and 10,000m, and next season will add the marathon to his repertoire with a debut over the 26.2-mile distance in next April's London Marathon.

According to the Independent, Gebrselassie, who is competing against Farah in Sunday's Bupa Great North Run half-marathon, said that although it is not easy to achieve the feat, he believes that Farah can win the 10,000 straight final, marathon straight final and the 5,000 m.

The report mentioned that the feat has been achieved just once at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics in which Czech runner Emil Zatopek won all three titles, with Gebrselassie saying that although it is a tough job to achieve the feat as it depends on the schedule, time and fitness of the athlete, it is not impossible as Zatopek also did it in 1952.

Although Farah's hero Gebrselassie and his coach Alberto Salazar expects him to win if not all, atleast two of the three events, Farah however, admitted that the feat is a big challenge for him.