• London 2012 - Athletics

Farah eases into Olympic 5000m final

Mo Farah eased into the final of the 5000m © PA Photos

Enlarge

Related Links

• News: Farah: There's a target on my back
  
• Features: Third time lucky for Felix
  
• Profile: Mo Farah

Mo Farah returned to the Olympic Stadium to a hero's reception and duly wowed the crowd with a smooth display to qualify for the final of the 5000m.

Schedule
Results
Medal Table

Farah played his part in GB's golden evening on the track on Saturday when taking victory in the 10,000m to complement the wins of Greg Rutherford and Jessica Ennis.

The Brit is aiming to double up in the track endurance races by adding 5000m gold to his 10,000m success and he is firmly on course to do so after easing through his heat.

Having taken in the adulation, Farah settled into his running and produced a fine run to qualify in 13:26.00.

It was not an exceptionally fast heat and Farah was content to run in the middle of the pack before easing to the outside with six laps to run. He picked off rivals one by one and with five laps to go he was on the shoulder of the leader.

Farah's move sparked an injection of pace from the rest of the field and that suited the 10,000m champion down to the ground as it thinned out the pack. The sprint began at the bell and Farah was made to work hard down the back straight to get into third and a place in the final - with Hayle Ibrahimov winning the heat in a time of 13:25.23.

"I was tired today," Farah said. "That took a bit more out of me than I thought but it is all good.

"I kept getting caught and there was a bit of pushing and shoving but that happens in the heats."

Ethiopia's Dejen Gebremeskel won the second heat of the 5000m in a time of 13:15.15.Great Britain's Nick McCormick came home 12th in 13:25.70 which is not good enough for a place in the final.

Sophie Hitchon gave the home crowd something to cheer in the hammer qualifying by posting a British-record throw of 71.98 metres. After a nervous wait to watch the second pool throw, Hitchon's place in the final was secured.

Sarah Attar made a bit of history when becoming the first woman to represent Saudi Arabia on the track. She finished a distance behind the leaders in her heat of the 800m, clocking a time of 2:44.95, but it mattered little as she was given a tremendous ovation by the crowd.

Lynsey Sharp, a controversial selection on account of her not having the A standard time, claimed second place in Heat Four of the 800m in a time of 2:01.41 to qualify for the semi-finals.

There was disappointment for Daniel Awde in the decathlon, as after setting a PB in winning his heat of the 100 metres, but was forced to pull out of the event after damaging a knee in the long jump.

Men's 5000m

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.