Mo Farah took a tumble midway through the race, but did not let the fall stop him from defending his 10,000m title, at the Olympic Stadium on Saturday.
The fall and the manner in which the Briton sprinted at the finish to beat Paul Kipngetich Tanui of Kenya by about half a second took the focus away from the defeat of Jamaican Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, the two-time champion, in the women’s 100m. The gold stayed with Jamaica, though, as Elaine Thompson won gold. American Tori Bowie pipped Fraser-Pryce to the silver.
It was no Super Saturday for the British, as Jessica Ennis Hill was beaten to the women’s heptathlon gold by Nafissatou Thiam of Belgium, and defending long-jump champion Greg Rutherford was reduced to the bronze as American Jeff Henderson won gold and South Africa’s Luvo Manyonga took silver.
There was no disputing Farah’s class, as he clinched victory in an event he has now dominated at two Olympics and two World Championships. He clocked 27 minutes 5.17 seconds to clinch gold, despite having fallen down on lap-10, apparently tripped up by training partner Galen Rupp of the US.
“When I fell down, I was just thinking ‘my race is over, my dream is over’. I managed to dig deep, told myself ‘don’t panic’. A lot of laps were still left,” said Farah.
“If the fall had happened with five or six laps to go, I would have lost. I am fortunate.”
He refused to blame anyone for his fall. “Things happen, sometimes,” said Farah, who said he was not sure if it was indeed Rupp who had tripped him, before pacing him back into the race again. “It is so easy to blame people. I have got such a long stride. I don’t blame him.”
“I have worked hard for this. I promised my daughter that I was going to get a medal and I wasn’t going to let her down,” said Farah, who celebrated his win with emotional family members.
“The guys definitely pushed me today, and with the fall it is definitely up there. London was my best moment, but to defend my title here was pretty incredible,” said Farah, who will now attempt to win the 5,000m gold as well, to become the first person since Finland’s Lasse Viren (in 1972 and 1976) to achieve the double ‘double’.
Jamaican Thompson powered ahead after the half-way stage to break clear of the rest of the field for the women’s 100m gold, with 10.71s.
Fraser-Pryce, who was struggling with a toe injury, said she was happy to be on the podium.
“What I’m most happy about is that the 100m title is staying in Jamaica,” she said.
“I am really happy for her (Thompson). I’ve seen her work hard, and it is her time. In 2008 it was my time, 2016 it is her time.”
Thiam knew that she had to keep close to Ennis Hill in the final event, the 800m, to get gold, and that is exactly what she did.
“I knew I had to beat her by about 10 seconds and I knew it was going to be a tough ask. I just gave it my all,” said Ennis Hill.
Henderson’s long-jump gold was USA’s 22nd in the event, the most by a country in a single event.
It was a dramatic final jump of 8.38m that put Henderson 1cm ahead of Manyonga, with Rutherford taking bronze with 8.29.
Manyonga was heart-broken, understandably. “I was disappointed when Henderson jumped 8.38. I thought I had it, but he took it from me,” said Manyonga.
Agencies add
Jelagat Sumgong gave Kenya its first women’s marathon gold on Sunday, completing the course in 2 hours, 24 minutes — 4 seconds ahead of Kenyan-born Bahrainian Eunice Kirwa.
World champion Mare Dibaba of Ethiopia took bronze.
Protesters demonstrating against Brazil’s interim government sought to disrupt the race, running in front of the leaders near the finish before being intercepted by police on motorcycles.
About five demonstrators were seen climbing over barriers to get onto the course in front of winner Jemima Sumgong of Kenya and other leaders about 2 km from the end.
Each time an intruder got on the course, the police managed to cut him off.
The runners were not disrupted.
