Poetry in Mo-tion: Farah wins World Athletics gold
Britain’s double gold Olympic medallist Mo Farah wins the 10,000 metre title in a close Athletics World Championship race, avenging his defeat by Ethiopian Ibrahim Jeilan in 2011.
After missing out to Jeilan who caught him on the line in the 10,000m at the 2011 World Championships, Farah was hoping to improve on his silver in Moscow.
But with Jeilan and the Olympic silver medallist from last year, his training partner Galen Rupp, lining up against him, he faced a tough field.
He started off the race placed close to the back of the pack, behind his main rivals for the gold. With eight laps to go he moved into third place and things appeared to be controlling the race.
But Jeilan and Paul Kipngetich Tanui of Kenya tracked him all the way to the finish line with Farah this time holding the reigning champion off for the gold. Jeilan took silver and Tanui bronze.
Golden double
The 10,000m title is the first half of what Farah hopes will be another golden double, to go alongside his Olympic and Commonwealth double titles. He competes in the 5,000m final on Friday.
Olympic 100m champion and world record holder Jamaica’s Usain Bolt eased through his 100m heat in 10.07 seconds.
Earlier, American Mike Rodgers was the fastest qualifier in 9.98 secs, with countryman Justin Gatlin just a hundredth of a second slower.
The three British sprinters Dwain Chambers, Harry Aikines-Aryeetey and James Dasaolu also qualified for the next round of the 100m, which will take place tomorrow along with the final.
Another medal hope for Great Britain, Christine Ohuruogu, made smooth progress into the 400m semi-finals, winning her heat in her second-fastest time of 2013.
Read more: Usain Bolt versus Mo Farah - the greatest race ever?
Eilish McColgan, daughter of former 10,000m world champion Liz McColgan, qualified for the 3,000m steeplechase final with a Scottish record, while Michael Rimmer and Andrew Osagie made it through to the 800m semi-finals.
Rimmer and Osagie made it through to Sunday’s semi-finals of the 800m after both finished third in their heats, Rimmer clocking 1:45.47 and Osagie 1:46.16.
But there was disappointment for Steve Lewis, who failed to qualify for the final of the pole vault, while fellow Briton Ashley Bryant withdrew from the decathlon before the 100m because of a hamstring problem.