Mo Farah wins 10,000 metres at world track and field championships
Briton carries on where he left off at the London Olympics to triumph in the 10,000 metres at Moscow - but this time he has to dig deep
Briton Mo Farah was pushed all the way in an ultimately well executed victory in the men's 10,000 metres at the world championships yesterday to carry on where he left off at last year's London Olympics.
The Somali-born 30-year-old clocked 27 minutes and 21.72 seconds in his first outing since his victory in the British capital over the 25-lap race.
Ibrahim Jeilan of Ethiopia, who outsprinted Farah for the title in Daegu at the last world championships, won silver in 27:22.23, with early pace-setting Kenyan Paul Tanui taking bronze in 27:22.61.
"I had the experience of a couple of years ago. This time I saw Jeilan coming," said Farah. "I almost went down a few times but I covered every move and me and my training partner [Galen Rupp] worked together.
"I was digging in and digging in, looking across. I knew I had won only when I crossed the line."
Farah became one of the faces of the London Games after he claimed double gold in the 5,000 metres and 10,000 metres, a year after sealing a gold and silver in the Daegu worlds in the events respectively.
"It was great to come here and win the one that was missing," he said. "I have trained hard. I have spent a lot of time away from my family. When I won in the Olympics, my daughter didn't recognise me because I had been away so long. This is the best thing because you don't want to be away from your family too long."
It was the first time that a Kenyan or Ethiopian has not won the event since the inaugural world championships in Helsinki in 1983, when Italian Alberto Cova claimed victory.
Sprinting sensation Usain Bolt began his campaign for the 100 metres title by and easily qualifying for the semi-finals. The two-time Olympic champion in the event is trying to regain the world title he surrendered two years ago in South Korea, when he false-started in the final and was disqualified.
Bolt won his heat yesterday in 10.07 seconds, leading the entire way and cruising across the line.
Earlier, Kenyan Edna Kiplagat defied hot and humid conditions and a brave front-running display from Italian Valeria Straneo to become the first woman to retain the world marathon title.
Kiplagat, 33, won the first gold of the championships after timing her race to perfection, taking control in the shadows of the Luzhniki stadium to win in 2:25:44.
Straneo, who underwent major surgery in 2010 to have her spleen and gall bladder removed, had run strongly at the front but was unable to respond when the race reached the shade of the Olympic Park and took silver in 2:25:58. Japan's Kayoko Fukushi, 31, secured bronze in 2:27:45 to complete a podium sweep for the thirty-somethings.
Kiplagat's victory made up for a disappointing London Olympics last year when suffering from flu she trailed home 20th behind Ethiopian Tiki Gelana.
Meanwhile, double defending champion Trey Hardee was dumped out of the decathlon as he no-heighted in the high jump competition.
Hardee, who triumphed in Berlin and Daegu and took Olympic silver last year, failed three times at 1.90 metres. "It was just one of those things, landed on the pit after my second attempt, my hamstring was grabbing," Hardee said. "I laid there and tried to keep it from cramping up. The third [attempt] came around way too quick."
Olympic champion Ashton Eaton of the US leads after the first five events. Compatriot Gunnar Nixon is second and German Michael Schrader third.
