Brilliant Mo Farah captures 10th successive global title

British athletics legend Mo Farah won his 10th successive global title on Friday winning the 10,000 metres world crown at the London Stadium where he won Olympic gold in 2012.

Published : Aug 05, 2017 02:59 IST , London

Mo Farah in action at The London Stadium on Friday.
Mo Farah in action at The London Stadium on Friday.
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Mo Farah in action at The London Stadium on Friday.

British athletics legend Mo Farah won his 10th successive global title on Friday winning the 10,000 metres world crown at the London Stadium where he won Olympic gold in 2012.

The 34-year-old, who will bid to add a third successive world double in the 5000m later in the championships, had a narrow escape from disaster on the final lap when he was clipped twice but somehow kept his balance to prevail.

Ugandan youngster Joshua Cheptegei of Uganda took silver and Paul Tanui of Kenya claimed bronze with Farah having once again foiled their respective nations' tactics.

“It makes me proud to be British. It's been a long journey, it's been incredible," said Farah who was accompanied by his family on a lap of honour.

“It's been hard but I'm just mentally strong I guess."

The Ugandans and the Kenyans deployed their strategy of 'surging' with them alternating the lead pace so as not to allow Farah to get into a rhythm.

Two-time world cross-country champion Geoffrey Kamworor took up the pace with over 21 laps to run -- Farah was seventh from the back but looking comfortable.

Read: Bolt digs in to advance to 100m semis

Kamworor exchanged the lead with Cheptegei, the 20-year-old performing the same role as he had in the Olympic final in Rio.

Farah moved along in around 12th as Kamworor and compatriot Tanui injected more pace up front and the trio of Ethiopians loomed large on the scene.

However, Farah decided with 14 laps remaining to show them he was unaffected by their tactics accelerating down the finishing straight to briefly head the field.

The Kenyans resumed their control up front soon afterwards and upped the pace recording a lap of 61 seconds with the Ugandans tucked in behind them and Farah 11th.

However, each time they thought they had him on the ropes Farah also sped up although Kamworor deliberately slowed it down recording a lap of 67 seconds.

With nine laps to go the pace setting was taken up by young Eritrean Aron Kifle but despite the constant changing of pace Farah despite being elbowed looked comfortable.

Semenya safely off on double quest

With 2000m to the tape Cheptegei led the field but was then passed by the fastest man in the world this year Ethiopian Abadi Hadis, who looked in ominously good shape.

With two laps to go Farah moved up to the shoulder of Hadis, passing him down the back straight, and as the bell rang he looked up at the big screen to see how his rivals were behind him.

Despite the two clippings Farah held his nerve and was able to repel one final challenge from the relentless Cheptegei to cross the line with fireworks going off to celebrate his feat.

Prior to the race Farah had come onto the track waving his arms in the air urging the spectators to up the volume.

Introduced as they lined up for the start to the crowd they responded with a deafening roar -- but nothing compared to what greeted their champion as he crossed the line in glory half an hour later.

Henderson, Suhr fail to qualify

The U.S. team suffered a double blow on the opening day when pole vaulter Jennifer Suhr and long jumper Jeff Henderson, both Olympic champions and among the favourites in London, failed to qualify for their respective finals.

Suhr, who won gold in London in 2012 and silver at the Moscow worlds a year later and is the reigning world indoor champion, failed to clear a height as just one vaulter, Ekaterina Stefanidi of Greece, went over the official qualification mark of 4.60m.

"It's three no jumps," said the 35-year-old Suhr, who has a personal best of 4.91m.

"I thought I made the first one but it just nicked off, so that was disappointing.

"Right now, I don't want to think about this too much as a bad experience because 2012 was such a good one for me.

"Maybe I'll have some time off because it has been a long 12 months. I just need a little bit of time to relax and come back stronger."

Henderson, who won gold at last summer's Rio Olympics, managed a best of only 7.84m, far off his personal best of 8.58 set in 2015 and season's best of 8.28.

"It's not what I wanted at all, I wanted to do better but I guess it's harder to come back after (winning Olympic gold) last year," said the 28-year-old, who no marked in his second qualifying jump after landing 7.74m in his first.

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