Mo Farah completed the Olympic “double double” as he claimed his fourth Games gold medal, retaining his 5,000 metres title a week after his second 10,000m victory.
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Mo Farah made Team GB proud once again this week after winning two golds in the men’s 5,000m & 10,000m in theRio Olympic Games.
Run fast or run slow, in Rio Mo Farah further proved that when it comes to major championship distance running he is the master as he won the 5000m title to complete an incredible Olympic “double double” on the final evening of track action.
The victory sealed a distance double for Farah last achieved when Viren triumphed in the 1972 and 1976 Games in Munich and Montreal. Lagat ran a season-best 13:06.78.
Dejen Gebremeksel, silver medallist behind Farah in London four years ago, and Gebrhiwet set out on a fast pace, Farah sat at the end of the strung-out field at the Olympic Stadium in flawless conditions. American Hassan Mead, who originally placed 12th, was moved up to ninth place. I haven’t won just medals, I’ve come sixth and seventh.
“When you see them cry, when you see them not eating as well, being a father and having four kids is not easy and seeing my wife struggle, that’s the hard part”.
We round up the main talking points from the last track and field session at Rio 2016, which saw gold medals awarded in seven events.
Fittingly, Farah’s medal was the one which brought Team GB level with their medal haul from London 2012 of 65, a total they surpassed a few minutes later when the women’s 4x400m relay team claimed bronze.
For a country the size of Britain to finish second to the US in the medals table – our highest ever position – and above China was, he added, ‘nothing short of extraordinary. “I can’t believe it”, said Farah.
The British cycling team shrugged off a controversial build-up to the Games by sweeping to glory in the velodrome, Sir Bradley Wiggins snaring a record eighth Olympic medal and Jason Kenny and Laura Trott, with five between them, anointed the nation’s golden couple.
The 33-year-old began the race behind the pack, slowly moving past his rivals as the laps passed.
After retaining the 10,000m title last week, Farah produced an exemplary race to win a second 5km gold in 13min 03.30sec.
And it was a good day all round for Farah’s coach Alberto Salazar, with another of his charges at the Nike Oregon Project in Portland, American Matthew Centrowitz, taking 1500m gold.
Josh Buatsi took unexpected bronze but the programme ended in controversy when super-heavyweight Joe Joyce was denied gold in a split decision loss to Frenchman Tony Yoka.
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At the Atlanta Olympics 20 years ago, GB came away with just one gold medal and finished a pitiful 36th – behind Algeria and Norway. “I hate to lose, I have that drive, it’s just me”, Farah told reporters.
