Should Farah also defend his 5,000m title, he would become the first athlete since Finland’s Lasse Viren in 1976 to retain two Olympic distance titles.
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Britain’s Mo Farah has set his sights on a track swansong at the London 2017 World Championships after completing his quest for a “double double” at the Rio Olympics.
“Oh my God I can’t believe it!” said Farah. It shows I didn’t just fluke it in London, I did it again here.
That number matched their momentous achievement from four years ago in London, and while it was surpassed later that evening as the women’s 4x400m claimed bronze, it was a total few thought would be repeated in Brazil.
“It feels awesome, incredible to win medals for my country”.
He expected this latest challenge to be the toughest yet, braced for the Ethiopian trio of Muktar Edris, Dejen Gebremeskel and Gebrhiwet to try to tire him out early in the race in a bid to neutralise his finishing speed.
Getting over the 10,000m is becoming harder the older he gets, his legs taking longer to recover.
“Over the last four years, I’m sure people have been watching me win the worlds and come back”.
He finally hit the front with just under 2,000m to go and from there it was the same old story for his rivals.
That meant American teammate Bernard Lagat would get bronze. I had to recover, lock myself in a room and just get ready for this race. I know the guys were thinking about me, so I controlled the race. Keeping his cool, Farah threw down a 1:52.65 last 800m and his killer kick saw him clock a final lap of 52.83 to surge away from USA’s Paul Chelimo and Gebrhiwet.
“I’m really proud of how my sister handled herself” said Porter, 28.
The women’s high jump was won by 37-year-old Spaniard Ruth Beitia who won her first Olympic medal at her fourth Games while at the other end of the scale, 24-year-old Thomas Rohler won javelin gold for Germany on his Olympic debut. And, boy, will he be missed.
Turning to the race, Farah said he had felt comfortable after restoring himself in the lead pack following his fall.
Mo Farah went to the front of the men’s 5,000-meter race with four-and-a-half laps to go and was never again headed as he completed his second straight Olympic 5,000-10,000 meter double at the Rio Games on Saturday.
Farah was the man with the advantage, but Lagat and Chelimo took the outside lines and made a dash for it in the last 100m.
“There was only one to go and that’s what motivated me”, he said. “All I used to think as a kid was, “man, if only I could have one medal” and now I’ve got four medals”.
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“You’ve got to do your homework; that’s what I’ve done over the years”. “I hate to lose”.
