Brilliant Farah leads a British 1-2 in the men’s 10000m

Farah led home a British one-two, with Chris Thompson claiming the second place with a brilliant run.
27-year-old Farah added another title to his growing collection of gold medals, and added an outdoor European gold to his cross country (2006), indoor (3000m/2009) titles.

Farah also became the first ever Briton to strike gold in the 10000m event in the history of the Europeans while the runner-up place bagged by his compatriot Chris Thompson confirmed their pre-race favourites billing. The bronze medal went to the 24-year-old Italian Daniel Meucci. Both Thompson and Meucci bagged their first major career medals.

The large pack of 26 athletes started very cautiously with a pedestrian 2:59.70 for the opening kilometre led by Belarus’s Stsiapan Rahautsou. By then Farah ran conservatively in last place but when Russia’s Pavel Shapovalov injected some speed to go through the 3000m in 8:46.91 the Somalian-born Farah moved to the middle of the pack.

At the 3750 point Farah took the lead for the first time but he was rapidly joint at the forefront for the Spanish duo of Carlos Castillejo and the Moroccan-born Ayad Lamdassem.

At the halfway point the pace had again decreased as France’s Abellatif Metfah cruised the 5000m point in 14:38.10 with Lamdasemm at his shoulder. For a major surprise the defending champion Jan Fitschen of Germany dropped out from the leading group.

The first remarkable move was made by Thompson, holder of a PB of 27:29.61, with still 3600m left. The 29-year-old stepped up the pace for a fast eighth kilometre of 2:47.18 and shortly afterwards Farah dealt a killer blow with a 1:04 lap which only Lamdassem could cover while Thompson, Meucci and Castillejo faded 20m behind the leading duo but the latter lost ground and his medal chances vanished before entering the last kilometre.

For the astonishment of Lamdassem Farah looked at the Spaniard, slowed down the pace and asked him to make the pacing duties with some 1200m left. Lamdassem ruled the race then (2:44.97 for the ninth kilometre) and he tried to leave Farah behind with 650m to go boosted for his local crowd but the Briton comfortably responded to his attack to deliver later a devastating final kick 300m off the finish line.

Farah’s closing 300m were stunning and he opened a sizeable margin on Lamdassem in a matter of few strides to romp home absolutely unopposed in 28:24.99 to improve on his silver medal over 5000m in Göteborg. Farah’s last 300m took him unofficial 46s.

The battle for the minor places on the podium was simply epic. Lamdassem seemed to be guaranteed the silver medal but the fierce fight for the ‘bronze’ medal between Thompson and Meucci led them to catch the Spaniard with 50m left although the neck to neck between them kept on until the finish line to such an extent that they were given the same time, 28:27.33, the silver medal going for Thompson by thousands of a second. A mentally devastated Lamdassem jogged through the final metres to clock 28:34.89 for a cruel 4th place.

Source: european-athletics.org