• Diamond League

Farah breaks European 1500m record

Mo Farah was in record breaking form in Monaco © PA Photos

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Double Olympic champion Mo Farah has broken the European 1500m record at the Diamond League meeting in Monaco.

Farah, who won gold in the 5,000m and 10,000m at the London 2012 Olympic Games, clocked a time of three minutes 28.82 seconds in the principality to become the sixth fastest man over the distance, also breaking Steve Cram's 28-year British record in the process.

Farah's efforts see him become the first Briton in 16 years to hold the European record, which was previously set at three minutes 28.95 seconds by Spain's Fermin Cacho.

The Brit was running at the shorter distance to hone his speed in preparation for next month's World Championships in Moscow, and finished second behind Kenyan Asbel Kiprop - who set a world leading time of three minutes 27.72 seconds.

The 30-year-old is looking to add to his Olympic haul by becoming world champion in his favoured long distance events, while also targeting a step-up to marathon distance next year.

"I'm pleased, it was weird competing in a new event," Farah told BBC Sport. "Training has been going pretty well. The aim was to work on the speed. It would have been nice to get closer to Kiprop but he is a different class."

Cram added: "To run like that is unbelievable. It puts him right up there in the top five or six of all time. I am shocked in a great way.

"Mo jokingly said he was after the British record and I laughed but hats off to him. For a 5,000m runner to run like that is unbelievable."

Elsewhere, Kenya's Edwin Cheruiyot Sol ran the quickest 5,000m of the year with a time of 12 minutes 51.34 seconds. Justin Gaitlin powered to victory in the 100m.

Britain's Tiffany Porter had to settle for fourth in the women's 100m hurdles, as American Queen Harrison took victory in 12.64 seconds.

Shara Proctor finished third in the women's long jump, while Steve Lewis jumped a season-best 5.70m to claim sixth spot in the men's pole vault.

Reigning 400m hurdles world champion Dai Greene pulled out of the meet with an Achilles injury, leaving Trinidad's Jehue Gordon to snatch a shock win on the home straight over Diamond League leader Javier Culson.

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