Mo Farah captures tenth successive global title
He won his tenth successive global title winning the 10,000m world crown at the London Stadium where he won Olympic gold in 2012
London, UK - British athletics legend Mo Farah won his tenth successive global title on Friday winning the 10,000m 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 5,000m 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.
"It's been hard but I'm just mentally strong I guess."
He added, "It was amazing tonight, I had to get my head around it. I got a bit emotional at the start and then I just had to get in the zone. It has all been amazing.
"I knew at 12 laps to go when they went hard from there I knew it was going to be tough. It was about believing in my sprint finish and knowing that I have been in that position before. It helped a lot having that experience."
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.
Double hopes endangered
Farah's hopes of winning his third successive world championship distance double could be in jeopardy after requiring medical treatment following Friday's win.
The Somalia-born runner, who prior to Friday's victory had racked up two Olympic and world doubles as well as the 2011 5,000m world crown, tried to shrug off the battering he had taken but still curtailed media commitments so he could be attended to by medical staff.
"I am hurt, I just have to be strong now and see the doctors," said Farah. "I've got a few cuts and bruises, perhaps I will need a few stitches, I need to recover and get ready, I've got enough days" before the 5,000m heats which are on Wednesday and the final on Saturday.
Farah though rejected notions that the spiking was deliberate.
"I've got such a long stride I don't blame anyone," he said.
"I recalled how I went down in Rio (in the 10,000m after which he got up to win). I got caught twice and I was thinking 'I can't go down I can't go down'."
Farah, whose association with controversial coach Alberto Salazar has been a source of disquiet, admitted the 'surging' tactics used by primarily the Kenyan and Ugandan athletes - upping the pace then reducing it so he couldn't get into his rhythm - had forced him to dig deep.
"It was one of the toughest races in my life," said Farah.
"The guys gave it to me, it was like 'how do we beat Mo?' again.
"You had the Ethiopians, the Kenyans, the Ugandans, they worked as a team together against me. I just had to stay strong, I was just thinking that I can't lose in my home town."
Farah, who was winning in the same stadium where he won Olympic gold in 2012 and is yet to be beaten there, said his con- fidence grew having weathered the earlier storm in the race.
"At some point in the middle of the race I didn't think I was going to lose, but I thought 'this is tough'," said Farah.
Farah ran to his family - his wife Tania and four children - after he had won and pulled them from the crowd so they could join him on his lap of honour.
"That was a special moment for me," said Farah.
"I miss spending time with them. To have my family on the track is very special."