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    Mo Farah’s I’m A Celebrity stint backed by athletics chiefs.. as long as Olympic bid stays on track

    ATHLETICS bosses have welcomed Mo Farah’s Jungle jaunt – provided it doesn’t damage his Tokyo Olympics bid.
    As we told you first, Britain’s most successful athlete, 37, has signed up for this year’s rescheduled I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!

    Mo Farah is set to appear on this year’s I’m A Celebrity in North Wales – provided it does not impact his Olympic preparationCredit: Pacemaker Press

    The four-time Olympic champion will join campmates next month at the new venue Gwrych Castle, North Wales, instead of the hot Australian rainforest.
    Eating creepy-crawlies and sleeping in cold, damp tents is not exactly ideal preparation for Farah’s quest to defend the 10,000m Olympic title next July.
    Jo Coates, CEO of UK Athletics, said: “It’s that knife-edge decision.
    “As a marketer, to have athletes in mainstream TV shows is just perfection.

    “However – and a big however – you would never want to do that to the detriment of performance.
    “I’d imagine there have been lengthy conversations. If he is there, there will have been lengthy conversations about whether this would affect performance.
    “The fact that it’s in Wales and not as long a time is very different from many weeks in Australia.
    “Part of our communications strategy is about reaching a new audience. That’s what we have to do.

    “And shows like that take our athletes to a completely different audience. But I would never condone it to the detriment of performance because ultimately that’s what they do.”
    UKA are hopeful they will have two Diamond League meetings on the 2021 calendar, which is published shortly.
    And Coates is confident the UK Indoors trials will happen next February regardless of whether or not they are allowed fans.
    She added: “Even if we don’t sell a ticket we can still put that event on, which is fantastic news for the sport.”

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    Police confirm body found in search for former Team GB fell runner Chris Smith who went missing in Perthshire hills

    A BODY has been found in the search for former Team GB fell runner Chris Smith who vanished in Perthshire hills. 
    Chris, 43, was reported missing on Tuesday night after he failed to return from a run.

    He had set off on a run from Invervar near Aberfeldy, Perth and Kinross, at around 3pm. 
    His family, including his wife Lindsay and two children, became concerned when he did not return and called emergency services.
    It sparked a search-and-rescue operation involving mountain rescue teams, Police Scotland and the Coastguard.
    And officers have confirmed today that a body has been found near to Meall Garbh in the Glenlyon area in their search for the missing runner.

    A spokesperson said: “Police Scotland can confirm that at around 11:50am on Thursday, 29 October, 2020, the body of a man was found near to Meall Garbh in the Glenlyon area.
    “Formal identification has yet to take place however the family of missing 43-year-old Chris Smith has been informed.
    “Enquiries remain ongoing and a report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal in due course.”
    Smith represented Great Britain in international mountain running competitions.

    In 2016 he helped Team GB win bronze in the European Mountain Running Championships in Italy.
    He is originally from Aberdeenshire but lives in Haywards Heath, West Sussex.
    Smith is a member of Thames Valley Harriers.

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