NEWHAM & ESSEX BEAGLES Olympic athlete Mo Farah sealed his first major track title after storming to 3,000m gold at the European Indoor Championships in Turin at the weekend, writes MATT DINER. The 25-year-old favourite had already broken the British rec

NEWHAM & ESSEX BEAGLES Olympic athlete Mo Farah sealed his first major track title after storming to 3,000m gold at the European Indoor Championships in Turin at the weekend, writes MATT DINER.

The 25-year-old favourite had already broken the British record for the event twice this year, before beating France's Bouabdellah Tahri in 7 minutes 40.17 seconds.

"It feels awesome," he beamed.

"I worked so hard for this after a disappointing year last year and it's not easy sometimes dealing with that."

Fellow Brits Nick McCormick was sixth, while Mark Draper finished in 11th place.

Farah's winning time was also a championship record, but well outside the British best he has set twice this year.

With winter training in Africa providing the foundations for his excellent form, Farah added: "I haven't seen much of my family being away so much in Ethiopia and Kenya over Christmas for training, but it's definitely paying off.

"I felt extra pressure being favourite - it's all a learning experience for me. I've never been under that pressure. My best tactic was to go hard and it was awesome to have Nick and Mark in the final too.

"It was a team tactic, we see other people do it, so why can't we."

Fellow Beagle Steve Lewis finished fourth in the pole vault event. The 22-year-old made a fine start and was first to clear the opening height of 5.41m, then passed on 5.51m and achieved 5.61m and 5.71m at the second attempt.

He eventually failed at 5.76m, one cm above his indoor personal best set in Manchester at the beginning of the 2009 indoor season. The British number one said: "I changed pole after 5.71m, but I just didn't quite pull it off as well as I wanted to.

"I could have jumped 5.76m here, which would have been a personal best and that would have been amazing, but I would have still been in fourth. I've got to be happy, it's my best ever international performance.