Athletics News - Magnificent Mo Farah wins 5,000m and gives golden glow to the World Championships
Last updated 9/19/2011 3:07:36 PM
Athletics News - Magnificent Mo Farah wins 5000 meter gold medal
Mo Farah is not only the best distance runner Great Britain has ever produced – but probably the nicest athlete into the bargain.
The quiet, unassuming runner not only became the best of British but was also one of the brightest lights in the World Championships in South Korea, surpassed only by the ebullient and equally brilliant Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt.
The extrovert Jamaican, a guaranteed star for the London Olympics in 11 months time won two gold medals when he led the Jamaican quartet home in a world record for the 4 x 100 metres relay, the final event in Daegu.
But that was a team event and while Bolt was fouled out6 of the 100 metres, the slight Farah was taking a silver in the 10,000 metres and, finally, a glorious gold in the 5,000 metres on the last day, beating the best the Africans and Americans could muster as he bossed the race.
He showed he had learned from his "failure" in the 10,000 metres and it is this ability to learn on his feet which will see him go into Olympic year as Great Britain's surest bet for a gold medal – a heavy weight to put on a young man.
In the next 44 weeks you will get to know Mo Farah pretty well because he will be on posters all over the country , a regular in your newspapers and the electronic media.
Fortunately he will spend much of that time in the States with his excellent coach Alberto Salazar, his wife and his beautiful daughter, but such is his style and class he will accommodate every request and every visit from the British media.
His gold and silver meant that Britain achieved their target of seven medals set by hard nosed Dutch head coach Charles van Commenee with the magnificent bonus of Hannah England taking glorious silver in the 1500 metres.
Commenee was satisfied with the two golds and reaching the target but said immediately afterwards that he was happy only with the golds from Mo and 400 metres hurdler Dai Greene, the Bath based Welshman who looks a good bet to repeat his Korean form in London.
Disappointments in the World Championships – if there is such a thing as a disappointed medallist – were Jessica Ennis, the favourite who finished second in the heptathlon and triple jumper Philips Idowu but such is their talent that both will be right up there vying for the top step of the podium in the Olympic Stadium.
Defending champion Idowu was pipped to triple jump gold by Christian Taylor but such was his series of jumps there is no need to be disheartened.
This sort of thing happens in such a technical event when one competitor can put all the components together as the American Taylor did.
Farah, who has made huge improvements since moving with his family to Oregon at the start of the year to be coached by Alberto Salazar, kept himself out of trouble at the back of the pack for the first 2,000m in a slow-paced race.
Farah covered the final 400m in 52.87 seconds, said: "It's been hard work and a lot of sacrifices and I have to thank so many people who've been behind me.
"But you can't get carried away. It's a long way to the London 2012 Olympics. The aim is to stay injury free. Anything can happen in long distance."
On Farah's 5,000m gold, Idowu added: "Mo's a great talent and deserved that medal. I'm really pleased for him."
David Webb attained the London 2012 A-standard in finishing 15th in the marathon, a race dominated as expected by the Africans.
His time of two hours, 15 minutes, 48 seconds was a season's best. Team-mate Lee Merrien was 22nd in a race won by Kenya's defending champion Abel Kirui in 2:07.38.
GB'S MEDALS IN DAEGU
- Mo Farah - 5,000m gold
- Dai Greene - 400m hurdles gold
- Mo Farah - 10,000m silver
- Phillips Idowu - triple jump silver
- Jessica Ennis - heptathlon silver
- Hannah England - 1500m silver
- Andy Turner - 110m hurdles bronze