'He will be very difficult to deny a medal' - Ross Tucker weighs in on Mo Farah's growing marathon pedigree
Mo Farah exceeded expectations last weekend in the United States and even secured a European record en route to victory in the Chicago Marathon.
The Briton was just over five minutes shy of running an elusive sub-two hour marathon and speaking on Tuesday's #OTBAM, Ross Tucker said his performance was certainly a statement ahead of his tilt at Olympic gold in Tokyo.
"It was impressive because he won the marathon the same way that he used to run the track," Tucker explained.
"You didn't see him for the first 30km and there were times where I actually wondered was he feeling good on the day because he was nowhere to be seen at the front.
"Once things started to heat up he was up at the front. For the last five kilometres he dictated the race. It was like superimposing a track race onto the roads of Chicago.
"The template they've succeeded with on the track is obviously now going to work for them on the roads."
Much of the focus will now be put on Farah leading up to the Games in Tokyo and whether he can solidify his legacy as Britain's greatest ever distance runner - or, in some eyes, the greatest ever athlete Britain has ever produced.
"The talk in the media, while it is typically gushing and one-sided, it's probably justified because he is likely to be there best medal chance at the 2020 Olympic Games - so long as he stays healthy.
"I can't see him not winning a medal in that marathon because they don't have pacemakers. They tend to be slow tactical affairs.
"That's where he excels and he's also got the pace to go fast if he needs it.
"He will be very difficult to deny a medal. Whether he wins a gold medal, that's another issue."
You can listen to Tucker's analysis of runners getting closer to a sub-two hour marathon and the impact that casual doping is having on gyms and fitness studios globally.
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