Ethiopia’s Muktar Edris beats Mo Farah!

Athletics: Farah denied final gold by Ethiopian Edris

London, United Kingdom | AFP |  British athletics legend Mo Farah narrowly failed to complete a fifth successive global double on Saturday when he finished second behind Ethiopian Muktar Edris in a thrilling 5,000 metres world final.

The 34-year-old, whose winning run in the 5,000m at Olympics and world finals stretched back to 2011, fought desperately to claw back the deficit in the finishing straight but Edris held on to win in 13min 32.79sec.

Farah, a two-time double world champion and two time double Olympic champion, finished in 13:33.22.

Farah, who had won the 10,000m last Friday to open the championships with a bang, said he couldn’t have given it more but added he had proved that it was possible to break up the Ethiopian and Kenya hegemony over the distance races.

“I gave it my all, 110 percent,” said Farah.

“I don’t think there was any more I could have done. They (the Ethiopians) run as a team.

“Never feel like you can’t beat the Kenyans and Ethiopians — anything is possible.”

American Paul Chelimo added world bronze to his Olympic silver, timing 13.33.30.

Muktar Edris prevails in an incredible men’s 5000m at #IAAFworlds

A worthy champion

He wins Ethiopia’s second gold at these world champs pic.twitter.com/Vm1l8twpOc

— IAAF (@iaaforg) August 12, 2017

Farah and his team-mate Andrew Butchart had tried to break up the field with 600 metres to go in a race that had been run at generally a very slow pace.

However, Edris and team-mate Yomif Kejelcha seized the initiative as the bell went and Farah struggled to go with them.

He fell several metres behind them going down the back straight.

Edris led round the final bend with Farah under pressure from Kenyan-born Chelimo as they hit the straight.

Edris gritted his teeth and set sail for home with Farah moving down the inside to try and engineer a remarkable final burst but the gas just wasn’t there.

POS	BIB	ATHLETE	MARK
1	896	Muktar EDRISETH	13:32.79
2	954	Mohamed FARAHGBR	13:33.22
3	1382	Paul Kipkemoi CHELIMOUSA	13:33.30
4	899	Yomif KEJELCHAETH	13:33.51
5	893	Selemon BAREGAETH	13:35.34
6	749	Mohammed AHMEDCAN	13:35.43
7	852	Aron KIFLEERI	13:36.91
8	950	Andrew BUTCHARTGBR	13:38.73
9	758	Justyn KNIGHTCAN	13:39.15
10	1076	Kemoy CAMPBELLJAM	13:39.74
11	655	Patrick TIERNANAUS	13:40.01
12	734	Birhanu BALEWBRN	13:43.25
13	1147	Cyrus RUTTOKEN	13:48.64
14	850	Awet HABTEERI	13:58.68
	1402	Ryan HILLUSA	DNS

*****

RACE PREVIEW

London, United Kingdom | AFP |  British track legend Mo Farah sauntered into the 5,000 metres world final early in the week looking good to sign off his brilliant track championship career with a fifth successive global title double.

The 34-year-old — who has two Olympic and two world championship doubles to his credit — showed no sign of a hangover from the 10,000m victory last Friday, which saw him emerge with a badly cut calf, as he finished second in his semi-final at a rain-sodden London Stadium.

Farah, who is unbeaten in 5,000m global finals since winning the 2011 world crown, admitted to being tired but said he took his lead off a Kenyan catchphrase.

“Anything is possible — train hard and win easy, that is what the Kenyans say,” said Farah.

“I’ve been given a chance in life. For all the young kids out there, you should believe that you can do it as well.”

However, he may need to be on his guard as at the opposite end of the age spectrum 17-year-old Ethiopian Selemon Barega caught the eye in winning his semi-final.

Farah was content to hang out the back in the early stages but moved onto the fastest man in the world this year Muktar Edris’s shoulder with 10 laps remaining.

Up front was Spain’s Morocco-born Illias Fifa ahead of 16-year-old Ugandan Jacob Kiplimo who then took on the pace with seven laps to the tape — Farah moving up to second behind the youngster.

A welcome sudden injection of pace came from Tanzania’s Emmanuel Gisamoda with Farah looking relaxed in fourth alongside Hayle Ibrahimov of Azerbaijan.

However, they bunched up again and a fair few elbows came to the fore as runners tried to hold their position.

As they took the bell there were a dozen runners in contention for the five automatic places but Farah was never in danger of missing out and content to finish second.

However, the biggest cheer of all came for Mauritania’s Mohamed Sambe who valiantly battled on despite being tailed off from early on and being lapped twice.

The 34-year-old had his own ‘lap of honour’ on the final circuit of the track being cheered to the rafters and raised his arms as he crossed the line in celebrating having completed the course in his own time.

The second semi-final saw Ethiopian tyro Barega take on the pace setting duties after a very pedestrian opening four laps swapping the lead with Ugandan Stephen Kissa.

There were casualties though as the pace slowed and they bunched up with Kenyan-born American Olympic silver medalist Paul Chelimo going down after being clipped by Kenya’s Cyrus Rutto, who also came to grief.

Chelimo recovered quicker regaining his place in the main pack whilst Rutto took his time but with two laps to run he too was back in contention.

However, Chelimo ran out of puff when the final sprint took place with Barega coming home first and his former compatriot now running for Bahrain Birhanu Balew was second with Rutto doing brilliantly to take third.

There was a happy ending for Chelimo though as he made the final as one of the five fastest losers.