Comment: Mo Farah has lost some of his sparkle

I, along with 8,999 other fans had parted with a hard earned £50 in the hope of watching one of the world's greatest athletes perform in front of a partisan Birmingham crowd on Sunday.

I understand it had been one of the toughest week's of the double Olympic champion's life, but the manner in which he pulled out of the event showed a distinct lack of 'champion' spirit.

The late apology that subsequently followed was nothing more than a token gesture that did nothing to appease the thousands of disappointed supporters who see Farah as the perfect role model for hard work and hope.

I'm not here to judge what has happened and what the potential repercussions could be for the 32-year-old moving forward, I speak as a frustrated fan who feels he deserves better.

I'm not his coach, his manager, his agent, his press secretary or his wife, but surely one of these people should have voiced their opinion strongly enough for Farah to have had a rethink and attended the event.

Sportsmen and women at the highest level of competitive sport are extremely driven and emotional human beings that strive to be the very best at what they do.

A knock on one's character at the wrong time can indeed have a significant effect on their psyche and have the ability to cause the mind to make rash decisions both in the public eye and behind closed doors.

But Farah doesn't receive a 'free pass' on this occasion. He should have dealt with this situation a lot better than he has.

For someone who came to UK at eight-years-old, not speaking a word of English, Farah knows more than anyone how important communication is.

At £50,000 an appearance, the long distance runner is now one of the highest-paid athletes in the world.

I understand his preparation for the meeting was not ideal, but I don't think anyone would have been disappointed if he had finished second or third. The very fact that he would have attended the meeting in person would have been more than enough.

And what a perfect statement that would have been...amongst all the intense press speculation and frustration, Mo 'escapes' to the track to do what he does best.

Unfortunately that was not the case as Farah was over the middle of the Atlantic, probably wrestling with his conscience, as to whether he made the correct decision or not.

Well Mo Farah...you didn't make the correct decision.

For all the adverts, talk show appearances and endorsements, Farah's ultimate accolade has always been the people's champion.

After this weekend, Mo has a lot of making up to do if I'm going to be raising my hands above my head anytime soon.