Farah survives fall to win stunning Olympic victory as he leads Britain‘s Rio gold rush


MO Farah raced to a stunning 10,000 metres Olympics triumph early today – despite falling over during the race.

The track superstar, 33, appeared to be clipped by his longtime training partner Galen Rupp but found his feet to blow away the rest of the field as he successfully defended his London 2012 title.

Mo sweat ... Farah cruised to gold medal victory in the Men's 10,000m final
Mo sweat … Farah cruised to gold medal victory in the Men’s 10,000m final
Mo Farah
Tumble on the track … Mo hits the deck early in the race after being clipped
Mo Farah
Left for dust ... the track superstar, 33, blew away the field as he successfully defended his London 2012 title
Mo Farah
Golden boy ... Mo's victory put Britian third in the medals table with ten golds

Mo’s blistering burst of speed, finishing in 27.05.17  left silver medallist Paul Tanui 0.47sec adrift amid flag-waving joy for travelling British fans.

Pre-race favourite Mo, of Teddington, Middlesex, was in peak form after overcoming setbacks including a drugs probe into his American coach Alberto Salazar.

He will now race in the 5,000 metres next weekend in a bid to secure an amazing “quadruple double” of wins  in successive major global competitions.

Mo worked out the key to winning gold prior to last night’s final. He  would outpace  opponents and then run a gruelling last lap to hold them off.

Britain’s third victory in 24 hours put us third in the medals table with ten golds.

Earlier cyclist Laura Trott became the first British female to win a third Olympic gold when she won the team pursuit event in the velodrome alongside Joanna Rowsell-Shand, Elinor Barker and Katie Archibald .

Laura Trott
Two wheels good ... Laura Trott became the first British female to win a third Olympic gold

 

Olympic Games 2016 Track Cycling
Team effort . . . (from left) Joanna Rowsell Shand, Elinor Barker, Laura Trott and Katie Archibald celebrate trackside

 

Blistering pace . . . Rowsell-Shand, Trott and Archibald on their way to gold
Blistering pace . . . Rowsell-Shand, Trott and Archibald on their way to gold
Britain’s Men’s Eight
Oarsome performance ... Britain’s Men’s Eight rowers stormed to a gold medal minutes after Team GB’s women took silver
Golden boys . . . men's eight pose by rowing lake with medals
Golden boys . . . men's eight pose by rowing lake with medals

Earlier our Men’s Eight rowers stormed to a gold medal  minutes after Team GB’s women took silver.

Jubilant cox Phelan Hill, 37, let out a mighty roar and raised his fists as the fellas finished 1.33sec ahead of their German rivals. He hailed the exhausted rowers, who included ex-Boat Race winner Andrew Triggs-Hodge, as “gladiators”.

Ex-Oxford student Andrew, 37, of Halton, Bucks, said: “That was the angriest, the fiercest, ruthless. It was  aggressive.”

The Women’s Eight rowers were pipped to gold by Canada. But the team’s Fran Houghton, 35,  now a five-time Olympian, said: “I’m so proud of the girls. We believed in ourselves and that was it. The rest was inevitable.”

Smiles . . . rowers after silver-winning performance
Smiles . . . rowers after silver-winning performance
Jumping for joy . . . women's eight celebrate silver
Jumping for joy . . . women's eight celebrate silver

However, London 2012 golden girl Jessica Ennis-Hill, 30, was unable retain her heptathlon crown despite throwing a massive 46.06m in the javelin.

Belgian prodigy Nafissatou Thiam, 21, took home gold, doing just enough in the final 800m to hold off Ennis-Hill's challenge.

Jessica Ennis-Hill
On target ... Jessica Ennis-Hill threw a massive 46.06m in the javelin
 Jessica Ennis-Hill
So close ... unfortunately London 2012‘s golden girl was unable to retain her heptathlon crown
Flat out . . . Jess after 800m race
Flat out . . . Jess after 800m race
Rio Olympic Games 2016 - Day Eight
Flying leap . . . Greg jumping in final
NINTCHDBPICT000259145598
So close . . . Greg had to settle for bronze this time around

Another of Team GB's Super Saturday heroes, Greg Rutherford, came agonisingly close to repeating his 2012 glory, but had to settle for bronze.

Finally Adam Peaty inspired Team GB to 4×100 metres medley relay silver as Michael Phelps claimed his 23rd – and last – Olympic gold.

Britain won six gold and a silver on the famous first “Super Saturday” of London 2012.

Swimming - Olympics: Day 7
Pushing on . . . Peaty plunges forward on his leg
Not fishy . . . (left to right) Team GB's Chris Walker-Hebborn, Adam Peaty, James Guy and Duncan Scott
Not fishy . . . (left to right) Team GB's Chris Walker-Hebborn, Adam Peaty, James Guy and Duncan Scott

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