World Athletics: Sir Mo Farah unable to complete long-distance double as he settles for 5,000m silver
Sir Mo Farah had to settle for 5,000m silver at the World Championships as he missed out on completing the long-distance double at London 2017.
Eight days after landing the 10,000m crown for the third successive World Championships, Britain's greatest ever track and field athlete was bidding to seal the golden double for the fifth and final time in his glittering career.
Farah, who calls time on his track career at the end of the season to focus on the marathon, first managed that incredible feat in this very stadium five years ago at the London 2012 Olympics and subsequently followed it up with doubles in two world championships and the Rio Games.
But on this occasion the 34-year-old couldn't find the finishing kick needed to overtake Ethiopia's Muktar Edris in the home straight as he crossed the line in 13 minutes 33.22 seconds. Edris finished in 13mins 32.79secs, with the United States' Paul Chelimo third.
It takes little shine off a quite remarkable run of success that saw him win 10 global finals in a row from 2011 to last week's 10,000m triumph as he ended up with four Olympic titles and six world crowns - not to mention the five golds he's won at European level across both these distances.
Farah has never won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award and it looks unlikely he'll do so this time having missed out on the double in London. Sky Bet make him 14/1 from 5/1 to pick up the prestigious award this December. Boxer Anthony Joshua is the 2/5 favourite.
He said: "I had tears in my eyes, I've never had that before. It's been an amazing journey. To end it in London, where it all started, I got a bit emotional.
"I look at my family, what I've done and it gets to you. At the end of the day I'm human and it hasn't all been a smooth ride. If I had it perfect it would have been nice to end in double double but anything is possible. At some point it has to come to an end.
"I always told myself London is where it started and London was where it was going to stop. I was known as normal Mo and then overnight after London I was 'Mo', I couldn't go anywhere. To finish here is a nice thing.
"I know myself when I crossed the line there was nothing left of me, nothing. I gave my all. Over the years it has worked and I crossed the line first, but not tonight."
Farah won the 10,000m and 5,000m at the 2013 and 2015 World Championships while he also claimed the 5,000m crown in 2011, taking silver in the 10,000m - the last time he was beaten.
Edris did the 'Mobot' - Farah's trademark celebration - soon after crossing the line but Farah dismissed any suggestions it was a taunt in his own back yard.
"These guys all respect me and the reason why he did that is they respect me for what I've done for the sport," he said.
"It's no secret to what we do. These guys have seen me year after year and to be able to have that long career and keep coming back.
"I have to give credit to Edris. The Ethiopians had a game plan and they had to sacrifice one, Yomif Kejelcha, to get a medal so Edris could sit at the back and do as little work as possible and to beat me on the last lap."
Farah runs in Birmingham in the Diamond League next Sunday before finishing in Zurich and is now eager to start a new era on the road.
He said: "In terms of my chapter of my life I wanted to close here. I've got races in Birmingham and Zurich but it doesn't really matter. In terms of major championships I'm done, that chapter of my life is closed and I want to start a new one and move on to the roads.
"If you look at the history, it doesn't lie. What I've achieved has been incredible. I know I gave it all, the better man won on the day. It's a matter of staying hungry, motivated and for me to start a new challenge.
"I've seen a lot of great athletes go to the road and run decent times."
Mo Farah's major career medals
All gold unless stated
World Championships
London 2017 - 10,000m & 5,000m (silver)
Beijing 2015 - 10,000m & 5,000m
Moscow 2013 - 10,000m & 5,000m
Daegu 2011 - 5,000m, 10,000m (silver)
Olympic Games
Rio 2016 - 10,000m & 5,000m
London 2012 - 10,000m & 5,000m
European Championships (outdoor)
Zurich 2014 - 10,000m & 5,000m
Helsinki 2012 - 5,000m
Barcelona 2010 - 10,000m & 5,000m
Goteborg 2006: 5,000m (silver)
Mo Farah's golden moments
2011 World Championships, Daegu - 5,000m
Having been pipped at the line by the unknown Ethiopian Ibrahim Jeilan in the 10,000m days earlier, Farah upgraded his silver to gold over the shorter distance, holding off a late charge from American Bernard Lagat.
2012 Olympic Games, London - 10,000m
Farah completed 'Super Saturday' for Great Britain by winning the third of three home gold medals in the Olympic Stadium in one night, kicking away down the home straight to roars from the crowd.
2012 Olympic Games, London - 5,000m
Farah became just the seventh man in Olympic history to achieve the illustrious 5,000m and 10,000m double, resisting a late attack from Ethiopian Dejen Gebremeskel.
2013 World Championships, Moscow - 10,000m
He gained revenge on Jeilan by powering down the home straight to hold off the Ethiopian and claim the only global crown missing from his collection.
2013 World Championships, Moscow - 5,000m
Farah completed the double-double, two world titles to go with his twin Olympic crowns, kicking with 650m to go and holding off a host of challengers down the home straight.
2015 World Championships, Beijing - 10,000m
He put a summer of speculation and rumour behind him to again prove unbeatable on the track, bursting away from the twin Kenyan challenge of Geoffrey Kipsang Kamworor and Paul Tanui down the home straight.
2015 World Championships, Beijing - 5,000m
Helped by the slow early pace, he racked up a seventh straight global title and completed the 'triple double', surging past spent Kenyan Caleb Mwangangi Ndiku to take the victory.
2016 Olympic Games, Rio - 10,000m
Farah recovered from a fall after being tripped by training partner Galen Rupp to become the first British track and field athlete to win three Olympic gold medals.
2016 Olympic Games, Rio - 5,000m
Farah avoided any such drama and pulled clear down the home straight, holding off the challenge of American Paul Kipkemoi Chelimo and Ethiopian Hagos Gebrhiwet to become only the second man after Lasse Viren to retain Olympic 5,000m and 10,000m titles.
2017 World Championships, London - 10,000m
This may go down as Farah's greatest success. Tested from the off, he looked to be in trouble at times but found it in him to do the hard yards and then kick for victory on the home straight.
Related Athletics Links
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