Rio Olympics 2016: Mo Farah completes historic distance double-double with 5,000 metres gold – repeating the feat he achieved at London 2012

MO FARAH clinched the double double last night and aptly brought Britain's total medal tally in Rio to 65 - levelling the haul at London 2012.

Farah clocked 13 minutes 03.30 seconds to win the 5,000 metres crown adding it to the 10,000m he had won exactly seven days earlier.

Astonishingly he had to sprint for most of the final lap to hold off Paul Chelimo of the United States - who was later disqualified then reinstated - clocking 52.83sec for the last 400m.

And for once he stayed on his feet throughout, holding off any threat to trample on his quadruple dream.

Farah had sent out a warning to his Olympic rivals when he stormed to 5,000m victory with a world leading time at the Anniversary Games in London last month.

In his last outing on the track before Rio he had posted 12:59.29 back at the Olympic Stadium where he memorably won the distance double at London 2012.

To bring the total tally here last night to equal that at the scene of his finest hour seemed written in the stars.

In what could be his last Olympic track appearance he always looked in control. Cool as a cucumber he had even encouraged the crowd to cheer him on before the race started.

With eight laps to go he was still staying out of trouble, moving into second place with five laps to go behind Gebremeksel. Then on the bell he made his move. Chelimo tried to stay with him but Farah's pace proved too much.

Ethiopia's Hagos Gebrhiwet took bronze as his team-mates faded.

Once again they had no answer for imperious Farah.

He had gone onto the edge of the track 30min before the race to watch sprint superstar and pal Usain Bolt stand on the podium and receive his 4x100m relay gold medal - his NINTH title in the triple-triple and his farewell moment at the Olympics.

Bolt even took a selfie with Farah.

That title seven days ago made him the first British athlete to win three Olympic golds on the track, something even stars such as Seb Coe and Daley Thompson never, ever achieved let alone FOUR.

And the 33 year-old was also bidding to become only the second man in history after Lasse Viren in 1976 to retain two Olympic distance titles following his exploits at London 2012.

Finn Viren though did it in an era before the Africans went on to dominate the distance events.

He also wanted to win a fourth Olympic gold medal for his son Hussein with his three daughters already getting their gongs. Each of the medals has their name engraved on the side.

Farah only got into the showdown after surviving a trip from behind for the second time in five days to keep his dream of the Olympic double-double alive.

Viren also like Farah in last weekend's showdown FELL on the track before winning the 10,000m for the first time in 1972.

The Brit fell to the ground in the 10,000m final after he was floored by American training partner Galen Rupp, only to recover and hold on to his Olympic title on Saturday.

Then in the heats on Wednesday he was clipped by another American Hassan Mead with just 200m to go, managing to stay on but his feet as his rival then crumpled onto the track.

Ironically he suffered a similar scare in the 5,000m heats at the World Championships in Beijing last summer - again on the final bend - and in the showdown too.

Farah knew last night was at risk again with his long, loping strides and had been doing agility work in the gym, training with balancing balls in the run-up to the Games here to help him stay on his feet.

Astonishingly no KENYANS qualified for the final with the focus instead on Farah's two chief rivals, Ethiopia's Muktar Edris and Dejen Gebremeskel as well as fellow countryman Hagos Gebrhiwet.

They were also fresher for the final, without a 10,000m race in their legs, and were out to deny the Briton a fourth straight global long-distance double.

Farah was last beaten at a major championships in Daegu in 2011 by unknown Ethiopian Ibrahim Jeilen who out-sprinted him to world 10,000m gold in the final lap. Farah then came back a week later to take the 5,000m world title and has since added eight global crowns to his medal haul. Olympic gold in the 5,000m here was his NINTH.

He has already pledged like pal Bolt to bring the curtain down on his track career at next summer's World Championships in London where he plans to defend his two crowns there. But unlike Bolt he then wants to carry on and switch to marathon running.

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