• World Championships 2013

Farah: Daegu defeat inspired gold

Mo Farah claimed his maiden 10,000m world title on Saturday © Getty Images

Enlarge

Mo Farah has revealed that the painful memory of losing out on gold two years ago in Daegu was the driving force behind his victory in the 10,000 metres at the World Championships in Moscow.

Farah and Ibrahim Jeilan went head-to-head on the final lap, with Jeilan threatening to overtake Farah as he had done in the last 150m in 2011.

However this time Farah, a double Olympic gold medallist at London 2012, held off Jeilan's challenge to claim his maiden 10,000m world title, and the first ever won by a Briton.

"I was thinking 'not again, not again, not again'," said Farah, who won in 27 minutes 21.71 seconds, with a final lap of 54.49s.

"Two years ago Jeilan did wonderfully and ran a great race. But ever since then something has been missing and after London you just want to get that feeling again.

"It was very exciting. I knew what Jeilan was capable of so it was important I had something left. To be honest, with the last lap I could see he was there and I was thinking, 'God, I've got to make this lap worth it'.

Farah dedicated his win to his three daughters, revealing the price he pays for his success by admitting that the twins who were born shortly after the Olympics regard him like a stranger because of his prolonged absences when he is training.

"I've been away from them so much, like four months at a time," Farah added.

"Parents will understand that, but they don't recognise me. They see me as a stranger. Sometimes when you go home for three or four days it is hard."

Farah will look to retain his 5,000m title starting with Tuesday's heats. He can become only the second man ever to hold 10,000m and 5,000m titles at both Olympic and world level.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd