Mo Farah wrote his name into the record books on Saturday by completing a hat-trick of long-distance doubles at global championships by retaining his world 5,000 metres title in Beijing.
The 32-year-old followed up his 10,000 metres triumph by storming to gold over the shorter distance to rack up his seventh straight global crown – an unprecedented period of domination.
The slow early pace, set by Farah’s team-mate Tom Farrell at the front early on, played into his hands and he took advantage, unleashing his devastating kick past Kenya’s Caleb Mwangangi Ndiku in the final 150m to cross the line a comfortable winner in 13 minutes 50.38 seconds.
The Kenyans had worked as a team in the 10,000m to try to neutralise Farah’s finishing speed and, although it did not work, it was expected his rivals would try something similar again.
Instead the early pace was slow, Farah loitering at the back.
He took closer order with seven laps to go and then moved on to the shoulder of Imane Merga as the Ethiopian hit the front with three laps to go.
Ndiku did at least try to pose a problem for the Briton, moving up a gear in a long bid for home with 800m remaining and finally stretching out the field.
But Farah is the master at fast finishing and he went with the Kenyan before bursting past him as they headed into the home straight for the final time.
Ndiku had no answer and had to dig in to hold on for silver in 13mins 51.75secs.
Ethiopia’s Hagos Gebrhiwet took bronze, while Farrell ended up 15th.
Farah wore a crown as he celebrated on his lap of honour. And with good reason.
This win heralded a record-breaking achievement.
Before Saturday no man – not even Ethiopian great Kenenisa Bekele – had won the long-distance double at more than one World Championships.
Farah has not only managed it twice, but done so on the back of his twin Olympic triumph in 2012. Not since the 10,000m at the 2011 Worlds in Daegu, when he took silver, has he tasted defeat in a major outdoor final.
From the 5,000m final in Daegu, though the London Olympics, the 2013 Worlds in Moscow and now the 2015 edition at the Bird’s Nest stadium, the Briton has been simply unbeatable.
Indeed, over the last five seasons he has won ten major outdoor gold medals, including three European crowns. It is a quite staggering feat.
This season has also been one of Farah’s toughest.
Caught up in doping allegations surrounding his coach Alberto Salazar and, although accused of no wrongdoing himself, questioned by the United States Anti-Doping Agency as part of its investigation into the claims, Farah has been forced to endure a tumultuous time off the track.
On the track, though, nothing has changed. His rivals have still not come up with a way to stop him winning.
Salazar, meanwhile, has denied all doping claims.
