MO’S STILL ON TRACK
Farah in last final
MO FARAH swept into Saturday’s 5,000m final to stay on course for a golden double on his track championship farewell.
The 10,000m winner cruised through his heat at a cold and rainlashed London Stadium, finishing second, to lift some of the gloom hanging over the British team.
Joining him the final will be Andy Butchart, after the Scot finished seventh in the second heat.
Farah had needed three stitches after being spiked in a brutal 25-lap battle five days earlier but showed he had recovered.
The Somalia-born runner, 34, said: “I want to go out there and get one more gold. It’s all good but I am a bit tired. That was a tough run after the 10k final”
Farah clocked 13mins 30.18secs as he crossed the line behind Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha. On the track where he powered to double gold five years ago, Farah looks odds-on to repeat the feat.
He is aiming for his 11th global gold in a row over 5,000m or 10,000m on Saturday before switching to the lucrative road running circuit and the London Marathon next April.
Britain’s struggling 87-strong team badly need the four-time Olympic champion to deliver, with his gold from last Friday their only medal after six days. There looks to be few chances left over the remaining four days of action, apart from Farah.
But Laura Muir, narrowly edged out of bronze in the 1,500m, begins her 5,000m bid tonight.
British record holder Nick Miller did qualify for tomorrow’s hammer final with his first effort of 75.52m.
Team captain Eilidh Doyle, who runs the 400m hurdles final tonight, said: “The performances have been amazing and people have just missed out.
“We need to look at the bigger picture – I think the team is doing really well as a whole.”