Farah and Butchart into 5,000m final
As he did en-route to winning 10,000m gold on Saturday night, double Olympic champion Mo Farah (handicap -7.8) survived a trip in his 5,000m heat to safely advance to Friday evening’s final.
Farah was in a good position going down the backstraight on the final lap, however with 200m to go he was clipped from behind, but somehow managed to stay on his feet and finish in the top five.
“I’ve got such a long stride I find it hard you know – I always get tripped up or tangled up with someone but I managed to stay on my feet - it was quite nerve wracking.
“Emotionally you go through a lot and it’s a wake up now – the job ain’t done yet. I still have to recover, just lock myself in a room and just get ready for this race. I was a little bit tired today – not just because of the heat and having run 10k, but just mentally getting back in that zone. In the 10k I was on the edge – nothing was getting in my way and now I was a little bit distracted, so I need to get back in the zone and focus.”
The second heat containing Andrew Butchart (handicap -7.1) and Tom Farrell (handicap -6.1) was run at a quicker tempo, with the field knowing that all five fastest loser spots were up for grabs.
It was the Scot, Andrew Butchart who made the most of the pace though, keeping himself near the front throughout. With the majority of the field still in contention, the in-form Butchart took it upon himself to go to the front with two laps to go, winding it up with a 61 second penultimate lap. Looking at home in the 33 degree heat, Butchart picked up the pace again upon hearing the bell, decimating the field to secure himself an automatic qualifying spot, finishing fifth in 13.20.08.
“It was hard work – it always is! I guess I knew I just had to make top five and I pushed for it and luckily I got it. I actually expected a few people to come past – I didn’t kick that hard, didn’t go flat out – it was comfortable and somehow they stayed behind me. On the home straight I could see there were only five of us away so I kind of relaxed in the home straight which was nice.
“My training’s been going very well, so I was confident going into it but to get top five against that calibre of field I’m happy!”
It was a bad day at the office for Tom Farrell, as he became detached from the main pack just before 3000m, running a lonely remainder of the race to finish 20th in 14.11.65.
“I’m disappointed. I’ve had a tough year and things haven’t been clicking, so I thought it was a big ask to make the final, but still I thought I’d have the reserves to do it. I had some good training through Font and Belo but I ran out of time maybe. I haven’t got any answers really – it’s an amazing experience on the Olympic stage but I’m an athlete and I came here for more, so I’m disappointed. I just didn’t feel like me.”
In the women’s 800m heats Lynsey Sharp (handicap -2.6) looked cool, calm and collected as she controlled heat one to win in 2.00.83 and book her semi-final spot.
“It was good out there – I was just trying to stay out of trouble and get clear runs in. You can’t do anything unless you make the final so you just have to stay out of trouble, but it was fine once I got out there. It’s nice to get out there but it’s also nerve-wracking!”
British champion Shelayna Oskan-Clarke (handicap -2.1) went in the second of the eight heats alongside Caster Semenya and Ajee Wilson, knowing she needed a top two spot to guarantee qualification. Putting herself in the all the right places, she didn’t quite have the strength to pass Semenya or hold off Wilson down the home straight, having to settle for third in 1.59.67.
Thankfully that was enough for a fastest losers spot, and she commented post-race:
“It’s ok. Well it’s not ok because I was outside the top two, but my preparation has been really good, I’m in really good shape and I feel really good.”
Mo and Andrew are currently sitting in 1st and 2nd place on the National Ladder. Mo kept his handicap score at -7.8 in his 5000m heat whilst Andrew took 0.1 from his score.