Athletics legends Usain Bolt and Mo Farah experienced some of the greatest moments in their careers at the 2012 Olympics in London but five years on and back in the same stadium, misery replaced joy on Saturday.
Bolt, who won the individual 100 and 200m and the 4x100m relay in London in 2012, collapsed to the track injured anchoring the Jamaica 4x100m relay team.
Jamaican team doctor Dr. Kevin Jones said Bolt had suffered “cramps in his left hamstring”.
The organisers brought on a wheelchair but Bolt shrugged them aside and limped across the line, grimacing. Jamaica's 110m hurdles champion Omar McLeod and relay teammate said nothing had changed with regard to the reputation of Bolt. “Usain Bolt's name will always live on,” he said.
Briton Farah, who had won the first of his four global double doubles of 5,000m and 10,000m to deafening cheers in London in 2012, put up a spirited and courageous effort but for the first time in six years of global championship competition he had to settle for silver behind Muktar Edris of Ethiopia.
Farah, who started the championships in grand style by winning the 10,000m, had been left by Edris as the bell went and as hard as he tried he just didn't quite have the legs to pass his younger rival in the finishing straight.
“It's been amazing. It's been a long journey but it's been incredible,” said Farah.
Bolt's dramatic failure to win a medal in his final race allowed American great Allyson Felix to move ahead in the overall career World medals table with 15 after she was part of the women’s 4x100m relay gold-winning team. The Americans had to fight hard to edge out the British team.
Davinder Singh Kang failed to make his historic final round appearance count, finishing a disappointing 12th in men’s javelin. He produced a below-par performance and could only muster a best throw of 80.02m in his third attempt.
The results:
Men: 5,000m: 1. Mukhtar Edris (Eth) 13min 32.79sec, 2. Mohamed Farah (GBR) 13:33.22, 3. Paul Chelimo (USA) 13:33.30; 4x100m relay: 1. Britain (Chijindu Ujah, Adam Gemili, Daniel Talbot, Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake) 37.47 sec, 2. United States 37.52, 3. Japan 38.04; Javelin: 1. Johannes Vetter (Ger) 89.89m, 2. Jakub Vadlejch (Cze) 89.73, 3. Petr Frydrych (Cze) 88.32; Decathlon: 1. Kevin Mayer (Fra) 8,768 points, 2. Rico Freimuth (Ger) 8,564, 3. Kai Kazmirek (Ger) 8,488.
Women: 4x100m relay: 1. United States (Aaliyah Brown, Allyson Felix, Morolake Akinosun, Tori Bowie) 41.82 sec, 2. Britain 42.12, 3. Jamaica 42.19; 100m hurdles: 1. Sally Pearson (Aus) 12.59sec, 2. Dawn Harper Nelson (USA) 12.63, 3. Pamela Dutkiewicz (Ger) 12.72; High jump: 1. Maria Lasitskene (ANA - neutral) 2.03m, 2. Yulia Levchenko (Ukr) 2.01, 3. Kamila Licwinko (Pol) 1.99.
