Mo Farah capped an unforgettable night for British athletics as he claimed gold in the 10,000 metres final.
Briton claims long distance gold on historic night
Mo Farah capped an unforgettable night for British athletics as he produced a storming finish to claim gold in the 10,000 metres Olympic final.
The 29-year-old held his nerve superbly throughout a scrappy race before kicking away from his rivals on the final lap to emerge triumphant in front of an ecstatic crowd inside the Olympic Stadium in London.
Farah's training partner, Galen Rupp of the United States, came through to take silver, with Tariku Bekele of Ethiopia finishing in the bronze medal position.
Kenenisa Bekele, brother of Tariku and the 5,000m and 10,000m World and Olympic record holder, struggled to put himself in position during the closing stages and eventually finished outside the medals in fourth.
World 5,000m champion Farah had thought his race would not come down to the last lap as his rivals feared his sprinting speed, but in the end that was what happened and he hit the front at the bell to time his finish to perfection.
After crossing the line the Somalia-born distance runner collapsed to the track before being greeted by his seven-year-old stepdaughter Rihanna and wife Tania, who is expecting twins in September.
Farah's victory rounded off six golds for Britain on the most successful day for the country at an Olympics since the 1908 Games.
Best moment
Farah said: "Seeing them on the track was the best moment of my life - having your family there with you at such a moment...
"Rihanna's shoes kept coming off so I took them off so she could come on a lap of honour but she got scared because the crowd were so loud!"
He also said he was inspired by seeing Jessica Ennis having just won the heptathlon.
"I saw Jess with a flag and knew she must have won gold and I just felt I had to win," Farah said.
"As I came through the tunnel, people were just shouting 'Go Mo!' and the atmosphere was something else.
"I was really buzzing - it was like someone had just given me 10 cups of coffee, I was just pumped up so much."
