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August 18, 2014

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Farah seals long distance double

MO Farah clinched his 5,000-10,000 meter double at the European Championships in Zurich yesterday, giving his troubled season a golden finish that made him the double long distance champion at continental, world and Olympic level all at the same time.

After proving his health during his 10,000 victory last Wednesday, the Briton showed off his running smarts and explosive power in the 5,000, tugging in on the bends and unleashing his unmatched kick for home that has now been unstoppable at big championships since the 2012 London Olympics.

Farah had been airlifted to a hospital with a stomach ailment at his United States training camp barely a month ago but was good enough for gold in two races in five days.

Yesterday, his domination was so overpowering he had time to make his signature Mobot celebration with his hands over his head in the form of a heart as he crossed the line. He beat Hayle Ibrahimov of Azerbaijan by over 2 seconds.

Mahiedine Mekhissi also could have had a double but won his first gold, outrunning all opposition in the 1,500 meters yesterday, three days after the Frenchman was disqualified in the steeple chase for stripping off his shirt in celebration before crossing the finish line.

Mekhissi left all opponents standing with 450 meters to go with a devastating kick for home that left him enough time on the finishing straight to wave to the crowds at the Letzigrund Stadium. It was all show again, but at least he kept his shirt on. “I ran with rage,” he said. “My reaction was the reaction of a champion.”

His burst for home coincided with a crash in the pack that knocked out some challengers. After Mekhissi coasted home, Norway’s Henrik Ingebrigtsen took silver and Chris O’Hare of Britain bronze.

The ease with which he won the steeple chase on Thursday was just as impressive, but Mekhissi stripped to his bare chest, took the last hurdle with his shirt between his teeth and was later disqualified for the dress code violation.

Mekhissi said he had almost skipped the 1,500 after Thursday’s shock disqualification but took part because he still wanted to leave the weeklong event as a champion. In celebration, he held up two fingers ­— for the two titles he thought he deserved. “Winning was the best thing I could do after the steeple,” he said.

Unlike Mekhissi, it took the French 4x400 team an amazing comeback on the finishing straight of the women’s relay race to nip Ukraine at the line. Britain came in third.

It was a lot better for Britain in the men’s relay where 400 champion Martyn Rooney won his second gold by anchoring the team home in front of Russia and Poland.

Christina Schwanitz of Germany won the shot put ahead of Russia’s Yevgeniya Kolodko.

Italy’s Daniele Meucci won the marathon title ahead of Yared Shegumo of Poland and Aleksey Reunkov of Russia.




 

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