British runner Mo Farah returns to competition after health scare

British distance runner Mo Farah, a dominant force in track and field over the past few years, has revealed that he suffered a health scare leading up to this week’s European championships.

The reigning Olympic and world champion in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters said he collapsed on the bathroom floor after a hard training run in Utah last month.

“I suddenly had severe abdominal pain,” he recalled in an interview published on the Zurich 2014 meet’s website. “I even spent four days in hospital.”

The stomach ailment -- along with an infected tooth -- caused Farah to miss the Commonwealth Games in July.

Farah, who will try for another double in the 10,000 on Wednesday and the 5,000 on Sunday, insisted that his illness is no cause for lingering concern.

“You have to remember that athletes keep pushing their body to the limit,” he said. “That’s how we become champions.”