One MOment In Time

12 AUG2012

In what may well be the defining moment of London 2012, Mo Farah held off the determined late challenge of Dejen Gebremeskel to win a second gold medal last night in the Olympic Stadium. The Ethiopian - the fastest man in the world at 5,000m this year - looked set to sweep past Mo in the straight and deny the Londoner the iconic double. But the man born in Somalia and raised in the capital held his nerve - and his lead - to break the tape on 13:41:66, just ahead of Gebremeskel (13:41:98). Thomas Longosiwa (Kenya) took bronze.

In a tactical race, run at a pedestrian pace in the early stages, Farah looked a lonely figure amid a sea of green and yellow (Ethiopia) and black and red (Kenya) but the Briton was able to call on the special relationship and appeared to get good support from his American training buddy Galen Rupp.

The pace didn't really pick up until the dangerous Gebremeskel hit the front with 1,000m to go. Farah covered this move and struck the front himself with 700m remaining. Farah took full advantage of his inside berth and remained at the head of the field until he looked vulnerable to the late Gebremeskel effort. But Mo Farah 2012-style is an experienced competitor and cheered by the vociferous crowd he held on.

The 29 year old now joins the pantheon of the Olympic gods alongside the likes of Zatopek, Kuts and Viren as a 5,000/10,000 double champion. Post-run Farah celebrated in signature 'Mobot' style and then enjoyed the rapturous applause of the 80,000 crowd.

And now? There must be a temptation for Mo Farah to think about Rio in 2016 and emulating Lasse Viren's double double but he has also talked about moving up in distance so a Brazilian appearance is just as likely to be in the marathon.