Stumbling Mo recovers, on course for double
SCARE Despite being clipped by another runner, Briton qualifies second
Britain’s Mo Farah regained his balance after stumbling and almost falling to the track in Wednesday’s heats at the world athletics championships to book his spot in the final of the men’s 5,000 metres.
Fresh from his victory in the 10,000m final, where he also overcame a stumble on the last-lap, Farah just managed to stay on his feet after being clipped by another runner.
The Briton nearly tumbled over but recovered to qualify second fastest overall, just behind Ethiopia’s junior world champion Yomif Kejelcha. The 18-year-old Kejelcha crossed the line first in 13 minutes 19.38 seconds, with a relieved Farah just 0.06 in arrears. TRIPPED “I tripped, somebody nearly took me down, just caught my leg,” Farah said. “It happens, I have such a long stride, so often people catch my leg.”
Farah, 32, won the 5,000m at the last two world championships and is bidding to become the first man to win the event three times. He is also striving to repeat his 5,000m-10,000m double from the last world championships and the 2012 London Olympics but is taking nothing for granted.
Kenya’s Eunice Sum, the defending champion in the women’s 800m, easily won her heat to advance to the semifinals of the two-lap event. Sum won her heat in 1:59.67, the fifth best time overall. QUICKEST TIME American David Oliver, another defending world champion, set the quickest time in the heats of the men’s 110m hurdles, stopping the clock at 13.15. He was just 0.10 ahead of his countryman Aries Merritt, the 2012 Olympic champion and world record holder.
In the men’s triple jump, Cuba’s Pedro Pablo Pichardo qualified first ahead of American Christian Taylor, the reigning Olympic champion, with a leap of 17.43m.
Poland’s Anita Wlodarczyk, one of the biggest favourites to win gold in Beijing, topped the qualifiers for the women’s hammer throw.
Kenya’s Julius Yego won the javelin gold with the third longest throw of all time (92.72 m).
Cuba’s Yarisley Silva needed a jump of 4.90 metres to win a thrilling women’s pole vault contest and claim her first major global title.
In the 400m hurdles, Zuzana Hejnova of the Czech Republic retained her title with a convincing victory, clocking the fastest time in the world this year — 53.50 secs.