Victory followed up his gold medal in the 10,000m final last weekend and added to the double gold he was able to celebrate on home turf in London four summers ago.
Advertisement
Victory saw the 33-year-old become only the second man after “Flying Finn” Lasse Viren to win both titles at two Games.
Paul Chelimo, who switched allegiance from Kenya after joining the US army, was the fastest qualifier, running a personal best 13 minutes 19.54 seconds, while another Kenyan-turned-American Bernard Lagat, appearing in his fifth Olympics, also advanced.
However, they soon abandoned that tactic as Farah eased to the front, slowed the pace and invited his rivals to bunch back together.
Speaking shortly after the surprise flop, Daley said: “I guess I’m kind of in shock right now because I know that I could win that gold medal and am probably the only one who could challenge the Chinese for that gold”. People were bringing me food in my hotel room, but it is every athlete’s dream.
Butchart took more than four seconds off his PB with a Scottish record 13:08.61, a time which moves him from 10th to third on the United Kingdom all-time list and initially saw him secure seventh place.
“There was only one to go and that’s what motivated me”, he said. “It shows I didn’t just fluke it in London”.
“I’ve got such a long stride, so I find it hard, getting tripped up or tangled up with someone”, said Farah.
In the women’s 800 metres, the 25-year-old Caster Semenya of South Africa proved too strong, as she clocked a national record 1:55.28 to beat Francine Niyonsaba of Burundi (1:56.49) and Margaret Nyairera Wambui of Kenya (1:56.89). I haven’t won just medals, I’ve come sixth and seventh.
Lagat ran a season-best 13:06.78.
On the chances of another gold, he said: “It’s possible, but you look at the guys and they are ready for me”.
With five laps to run, Farah was well positioned in second and then took over the lead, immediately dropping the pace so the pack bunched back up.
Winning gold in the 5,000-meter final Saturday, Britain’s Mohamed “Mo” Farah doubled his Olympic wins for double the glory.
And with boxer Joe Joyce guaranteed either gold or silver in the men’s super-heavyweight final against Tony Yoka of France on Sunday they are set to achieve that target.
“You’ve got to do your homework; that’s what I’ve done over the years”. I just want to see my four kids and hang these medals around their necks.
Advertisement
“I told her I was going to get her a medal and I just kept on thinking about that, I did not want to let her down, I did not want to let my country down”. Nurmi has nine Olympic gold medals from the 1920 and 1924 Olympics, while Zatopek won the 5,000m, 10,000m and marathon at the 1952 Helsinki Games.
