Mo Farah breaks British record in dazzling show at Diamond League meeting ahead of Olympics

The double Olympic champion broke a 34-year record in the 3,000 metres in Birmingham

Mo Farah competing in Birmingham (Getty)

Mo Farah declared preparations for the defence of his Olympic titles in Rio were firmly on track after breaking the 34-year-old British 3,000 metres record at the Birmingham Diamond League on Sunday.

Farah collected his sixth British outdoor mark by clocking seven minutes 32.62 seconds at the Alexander Stadium, wiping out David Moorcroft's time of 7mins 32.79secs from 1982, set before Farah was even born.

The double Olympic champion now holds the British record for the 1,500m, 3,000m, two miles, 5,000m, 10,000m and half-marathon, as well as four indoor national records.

Sunday's race against a weak field was always likely to be a battle with the clock and, after kicking for home with two-and-a-half laps to go, the seven-time global champion once again came out on top.

Farah was back at the meeting he pulled out of last year as doping allegations, which have been vehemently denied, swirled around his coach Alberto Salazar.

He said: "I have been trying for about seven years for that record - it has stood there for a while.

"It has been hard to beat. I knew I was in good shape.

"I had to work the last two laps. It was a little bit breezy the last 200m, I had to dig in deep."

Victory maintained Farah's winning start to the outdoor season after his success over 10,000m in Eugene last weekend as he gears up for the defence of his 5,000m and 10,000m titles in Rio.

The 33-year-old, who dedicated his victory to his "hero" Muhammad Ali and performed his own tribute with a spot of shadow boxing on the start-line, said: "Training has been going pretty well, I am in a good place, I have to make sure I don't overcook it, be sensible, believe in myself.

"What I am trying to do is something that has never been done before. It won't be easy.

"People say, 'Oh, Mo won it four years ago. He will get it again'.

"It doesn't work like that. I have to be sensible, be smart, keep enjoying it."

Farah, who on Monday heads to Font-Romeu in the Pyrenees for altitude training, has even left IAAF president Lord Coe wondering whether his 800m mark of 1:41.73 is safe.

Coe said: "He is making me nervous that he is now going to focus on the 800m which is the only record he hasn't got in this range. And I wouldn't rule it out."

Farah's fellow London 2012 champion Greg Rutherford endured contrasting emotions and revealed he was suffering from "bad whiplash" as his nine-competition winning streak came to an end.

His best jump of 8.01m was only good enough for fifth place in a competition won by American Marquise Goodwin with 8.42m.

The world champion said he was hampered by a neck injury he suffered in winning in Rome three days ago, but insisted his Olympic hopes were not in danger.

Rutherford said: "I have made it worse on the first landing and I am currently unable to move my neck. The doctor thinks it is a bad whiplash, but it won't affect my Olympic bid. I am positive the British Athletics medical staff will be able to fix it over the next week."

Greg Rutherford competing in Birmingham (Getty)

Eilidh Doyle produced another impressive Diamond League display in the 400m hurdles, edged into second by American Cassandra Tate in a photo finish.

The Scot, who has already won in Doha and finished third in Rome last Thursday, was given the same time as the winner - 54.57 - and believes she is establishing herself as a contender for Rio.

The European champion said: "I've always been there or thereabouts, but hopefully this year I can set the world alight a little bit."

But Christine Ohuruogu said she wanted to "punch the wall" after trailing home seventh in the 400m in 52.40.

Ohuruogu's fellow Briton Seren Bundy-Davies finished fourth in a personal best 51.33.

Adam Gemili could only manage sixth in the 100m in 10.29, with Chijindu Ujah clocking 10.12 for third as 40-year-old Kim Collins won in 10.11.

Elsewhere, Kenya's Olympic 800m champion David Rudisha destroyed the field in the rarely-run 600m to win in 1:13.71.