Mo Farah awarded CBE for London Olympics performance
London, 29 June 2013 (SDN) – Olympic gold medallist Mo Farah has received a CBE from Prince Charles during a service at Buckingham Palace.
The 5,000m and 10,000m specialist triumphed at both distances at the London Olympics last year and became one of Team GB’s biggest stars.
The Somali-born athlete, 30, grew up in Hounslow, West London, and is now well-known for his trademark ‘Mobot’ celebration.
Speaking after receiving the award, he said: “I never in my life imagined coming to Buckingham Palace.
“I remember running past it in the mini-marathon as a kid when I was 13 and thinking it was so beautiful and taking pictures of the lion, so coming inside and receiving this award is great.
“Prince Charles said ‘You must be getting sick of so many medals’ and to hear someone like the Prince of Wales knows who you are is just brilliant.
“I’m not tired of it at all, I just want to make my country proud and collect as many medals in my career as I can.”
Farah found himself the subject of an investigation this week after the All England Club said it was “looking into” reports he broke Wimbledon rules by filming play from the Royal Box.
“I was filming but I took the film down from Twitter,” Farah told reporters at the Palace.
Others famous names at the investiture included actor Ewan McGregor, who got an OBE for services to drama and charity, and Olympic rower Anna Watkins, who received an MBE for services to rowing after she won the gold medal in the double sculls.
On a military note, Major Edward Colver, of The Yorkshire Regiment, was awarded an MBE in the Military Division after he lost six of his men in the biggest single loss of life suffered by British troops in Afghanistan.
Privates Kershaw, 19, Anthony Frampton, 20, Daniel Wade, 20, and Daniel Wilford, 21, Sgt Nigel Coupe, 33, and Corporal Jake Hartley, 20, died when an IED hit their armoured Warrior vehicle in Helmand province on March 6 last year.
Sergeant David Acarnley, a bomb disposal officer with the Royal Logistic Corps from Riding Hill, Northumberland, also got the Queen’s Gallantry Medal for rescuing Danish colleagues when their vehicle was hit by an explosive device in June last year.
Source: Sky News