• European Championships

Farah claims 10,000m gold in Zurich

Mo Farah celebrated wildly as he crossed the line © Getty Images

Enlarge

Mo Farah put his frustrating season behind him as he claimed 10,000m gold at the European Championships with fellow Briton Andy Vernon taking silver in Zurich.

Farah has seen his summer disrupted with illness forcing him out of the Commonwealth Games last month, while just six weeks ago an infected tooth ended in him collapsing in his bathroom and being airlifted to hospital because of concerns over his heart.

Mo Farah has a word with his friend Usain Bolt after winning the 10,000m © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

• News: Sharp and Child into semi-finals as Brits shine in Zurich
  
• News: Muir misses out on 1500m final in Zurich
  
• News: Pavey wins historic 10,000m gold at age of 40
  

However, in his first track race of the season, Farah hit the front with 600m to go and kicked on as usual at the bell, coming home in 28 minutes and 8.11 seconds with his extra training at altitude in the Pyrenees paying off as he put concerns over his fitness to bed.

He was made to work for his win, however, only managing to shake Turkey's Ali Kaya in the final 60m before Vernon made his late surge.

Farah was clearly relieved to put his recent struggles behind him, roaring with delight and pumping his fists in the air when he crossed the line, before apologising for his absence in Glasgow.

"This meant a lot to me," said Farah. "Two weeks ago it was a doubt if i was going to compete it. It wasn't easy. I wanted to run the Commonwealth Games but I couldn't so coming here to run the Europeans meant a lot to me.

"I didn't want to let people down, for all the people who bought tickets I let them down. I couldn't be there because I was nowhere near my best shape."

Farah has endured a troubled time since becoming only the man in history to win an Olympic and world 'double-double' in the distance events.

Less than a month after collapsing at the end of the New York Half Marathon and being taken away on a wheelchair, Farah finished a disappointing eighth on his full marathon debut in London.

He then pulled out of a Diamond League meeting in Glasgow in July due to abdominal pains before withdrawing from the Commonwealth Games because his body was still not ready to race.

Mo Farah and Andy Vernon on the podium with Turkey's Ali Kaya © Getty Images

Enlarge

On what was a spectacular night for British athletics, James Dasaolu won his first senior title with 100m gold while there was a bronze medal for Harry Aikines-Aryeetey.

Dasaolu was only seventh fastest from the blocks a midway surged saw him hold off reigning champion Christophe Lemaitre, while Aikines-Aryeetey edged Dwain Chambers to a place on the podium by two hundredths of a second.

Aikines-Aryeetey appeared to be lucky not be disqualified after twitching in his blocks with the race called back for a false start, but he received only a warning instead of a red card.

Elsewhere, in the women's 110m hurdles, Tiffany Porter took gold while there was bronze for Ashleigh Nelson.

With Jo Pavey also winning 10,000m gold on Tuesday, Britain have already matched their haul of four golds from the last European Championships in just two days.

Harry Aikines-Aryeetey and James Dasaolu drape themselves in Great Britain's flag © Getty Images

Enlarge

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd