Mo Farah struck gold on this day in 2011, winning the 5,000 metres at the World Championships in Daegu.
The 28-year-old became the first British world champion over the distance after holding off American Bernard Lagat to win in 13 minutes 23.36 seconds, seven days after being pipped to victory in the 10,000m.
Farah, happy to stay at the back of the pack in the early stages, was contesting the lead by the bell, crucially maintaining the inside line on the orders of his coach Alberto Salazar as Ethiopia’s Dejen Gebremeskel tried to go around the outside.
Ethiopia’s Imane Merga initially claimed bronze before being disqualified for running off the track, promoting compatriot Gebremeskel to third.
After the race, Farah said: “I’m very proud. I can’t believe it. It just hasn’t sunk in right now.
@Mo_Farah World Champion!!!!!! #AvivaGBNI #Daegue2011
— British Athletics (@BritAthletics) September 4, 2011
“I came so close in the 10k and I just wanted to do it in the 5k.
“Alberto just told me, ‘Do not let anyone pass’.
“Gebremeskel tried to come past me and I just had to hold him, hold him, hold him and then the last bit just try to dig in.
Farah had won 10 races in a row earlier that year after moving his wife and daughter with him to work with Salazar in Oregon.
He went on to triumph in the 5,000m and 10,000m at the 2012 Olympics in London and successfully defended both titles at the 2016 Olympics in Rio.
