Despite a mid-race fall, Mo Farah won the 10,000m in Rio on Saturday (13 August) night, becoming the first British athlete to win three gold medals on the track and only the fourth man to defend an Olympic 10,000m title.
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“London was my best moment, but to defend my title here was pretty incredible”, said Farah, who will now attempt to win the 5,000m gold as well, to become the first person since Finland’s Lasse Viren (in 1972 and 1976) to achieve the double “double”.
Ultimately it proved that everyone in the field apart from Mo Farah was pre-destined to fight for silver in the men 10000m final of the Rio 2016 Olympics on Sunday morning and Kenya’s Paul Kipng’etich Tanui caught the bouquet for his country’s second medal at Rio 2016 in a dramatic final.
Britain’s Mo Farah recovered from an early fall to sprint clear of the field in the home straight and retain his Olympic 10,000 metres title with a brilliant tactical display on Saturday. “I thought I had it, but he took it from me”, said Manyonga.
An emotional Rutherford said: “I never thought in my career I would be disappointed with bronze, but I’m gutted”.
“As each lap went down I was getting more confidence, confidence, confidence”, he said.
One thing the 33-year-old has not managed is besting Kenenisa Bekele’s world record marks in either event but Black, a double silver medallist in Atlanta 20 years ago, thinks that is no bar to his claims on greatness. For his part, Rupp mostly stuck right with Farah, and I believe I even detected some coordinating gestures between the two.
Farah headed to Brazil on the back of running his fastest 5,000m since before the last Olympics and the quickest in the world this year at the London Anniversary Games.
The British hero outsprinted Paul Tanui of Kenya to the line to win in 27 minutes, 5.17 seconds despite falling to the ground 10 laps into the race after a collision with American Galen Rupp. “I wanted to get more”. Within 50m, Farah and Rupp were back in the top 10 of the race, so little other than rhythm was lost in the ordeal.
“I know Tanui but not really the Ethiopians and what they were capable of”.
Mo Farah celebrates winning the Men’s 10,000m Final.
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“That’s all I was thinking about was her. You know what goes in, you can’t imagine how much work you put in, in one moment it’s gone”. Another gold medal added to the tally, and done so in thrilling style.
