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More news articles Farah storms to long-distance double
Mo Farah produced a superb final kilometre to defeat Jesus Espana in the 5000m final
© Mark Shearman
MO FARAH produced a superb final three laps to draw the sting out of defending champion and arguable pre-race favourite Jesus Espana on home-soil, to complete the 5000/10,000m double.
Farah, who won the 10,000m final on the opening day of the championships, was aware of the danger of his Spanish rivals as Espana outkicked Farah for the European title in Gothenburg and Alemayehu Bezabeh defeated the Brit for the European cross-country title in Dublin.
The European indoor champion gradually ran the pace out of Espana with 61.42 for the tenth lap, 59.15 for the penultimate lap, before finishing with a final lap of 55.7 to become the first athlete to achieve the long-distance double since Salvatore Antibo in Split in 1990.
Farah covered the last kilometre in a searing 2:25.24, clocking a winning time of 13:31.18 to Espana’s 13:33.12, who put up a stern defence of his title. Hayle Ibrahimov was the surprise for Azerbaijan, taking the bronze medal in 13:34.15.
Chris Thompson finished eighth in 13:44.42.
In the 800m, Michael Rimmer controlled the final but the UK champion narrowly missed out to Poland’s Marcin Lewandowski, who had just a bit too much strength in the home straight. The European No.1 took the title in 1:47.07 to pip the Brit by one-tenth. Adam Kszczot won the bronze for Poland in 1:47.22.
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