Mo Farah on Thursday won the final track race of his career by the skin of his teeth, clinching a dramatic win after three rivals collided with each other in the last couple of meters at the Welklasse Diamond League 5,000m final.
World champion Muktar Edris, who beat Farah at the World Championships in London two weeks ago, was among the trio left sprawled on the track in the Briton’s wake as Farah dived over the line.
With quadruple Olympic and six-time world champion Farah leading going into the final straight, Ethiopian Edris came powering through and appeared set to snatch victory on the line.
Photo: EPA
However, Edris tripped after being clipped on the shoulder by Paul Chelimo as the American tried to force his way through a gap and he in turn bowled over Yomif Kejelcha, another Ethiopian, on the outside.
Chelimo stumbled over the line in second and Edris’ momentum took him over in third.
Britain’s greatest racer — and perhaps the best the world has seen after 10 global title wins — will take to the roads next season to run marathons.
“It’s amazing to come away with a win today,” Farah told reporters. “I’ve been resting up and watching Edris, what tactics he normally uses, studying, working out and tonight the game plan was to sit on him and make him do a lot of the work.”
“I will really miss it, but everything must come to an end some time,” he added.
There was plenty of drama elsewhere, not least in the 400m which was won by Botswana’s Isaac Makwala who was barred from the same event in London after falling ill despite the athlete saying he was fit to run.
Olympic champion Ruth Jebet, fifth in London, ran the second-fastest time in history in the women’s 3,000m steeplechase nearly 20 seconds ahead of fourth-placed world champion Emma Coburn of the US.
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