There’s no beating Mo Farah. The Great Britain star defended his Olympic 10,000-meter title in Rio on Sunday, running 27:05.18 to hold off Paul Tanui of Kenya and and Ethiopia’s Yigrem Demelash in a thrilling sprint finish. It wasn’t as easy as it was four years ago for Farah, but he’s once again Golden. He ran 55.3 seconds for his final lap.
Rio 2016: Mo Farah defends his title to win gold medal in men’s 10,000-meter run
The Great Britain star defended his title as the U.S.‘s Galen Rupp finished fifth.
Galen Rupp of the U.S. finished in fifth after winning the silver medal in 2012.
Farah went to the back in the race’s early stages as the field plodded through at a pedestrian pace. Athletes from Burundi, Ethiopia and Kenya took turns leading, but Farah didn’t wait long to assert himself into the race, moving towards the front before the 3,000-meter mark. He attempted to slow the pace, but the Ethopian and Kenyan teams wouldn’t let the pace lag.
Only 10 minutes into the race, Rupp caught Farah’s back kick around a turn and tripped the reigning gold medalist to the ground. Farah bounced back up quickly, but Rupp was clearly rattled that he had tripped the star.
Farah moved back into the race quickly, seemingly unaffected by the fall. As the race progressed, three Kenyans -- Kamworor, Bedan Muchiri, and Paul Tanui -- pushed the pace. Then Yigrem Demelash and Tamirat Tola took over the lead, picking up the pace each lap.
Farah took the lead with 1,000 meters to go with the lead group down to five runners, which included Rupp. Tanui took the lead with 350 meters to go, but Farah had one final move.
Farah and Rupp finished 1-2 in London, but weren’t able to duplicate the feat again. Farah and Rupp train together as part of the Nike Oregon Project -- a group that is currently under a USADA investigation. Both athletes have one more race in Rio. Farah is doubling back in the 5,000 meters, where he’s also the defending champion, and Rupp is racing the marathon. Rupp ran his first marathon at the U.S. Olympic Trials, racing to a dominant win in Los Angeles in February.
Farah is the favorite to win the 5,000 as well. The top American challenger will be Bernard Lagat, the 41-year-old who shocked the crowd to win the U.S. Olympic Trials. The first round of the 5,000 is on August 17 and the final is on August 20.
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