The 34-year-old, who is switching to road racing in 2018, came home in seven minutes 38.64 seconds.

“This is it. All I dreamed of as a youngster was running for Britain,” said the double Olympic champion.

Elsewhere, Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith came fifth in a 100m race won by Olympic champion Elaine Thompson.

Farah took his sixth World Championship gold in London earlier this month – to go with two silvers – and also has four Olympic titles.

Neither his narrow failure to complete another 5,000m and 10,000m world title double in London nor the leak of an interim report from an anti-doping investigation into his American coach Alberto Salazar had dampened the Birmingham crowd’s enthusiasm for this send-off.

Farah – who has won more world-level track gold medals than any other British athlete in history – was roared to victory by a raucous crowd, who had to be reminded to save their cheers as the athletes prepared for the gun.

He said on Friday that his UK track farewell would be more “celebratory” than the frenzied and, at times, physical contests from which he took 10,000m gold and 5,000m silver in London and so it proved.

Adel Mechaal, who finished just off a podium place in the world 1500m final 10 days ago, pushed to overtake Farah down the back straight in Birmingham. But just as at the Diamond League meeting in London earlier this year, the Spaniard was left trailing by Farah’s formidable kick for home.

The Briton’s time was well short of the 7:32.76 he clocked at the same event last year to break Dave Moorcroft’s national record.

Farah for Tokyo 2020?

After a lap of honour in the rain, Farah denied newspaper reports that he had split with coach Barry Fudge, who has overseen his training programme since he distanced himself from Salazar.

“Where did you get that from? Barry is still my right-hand man,” he said when asked about his relationship with British Athletics’ head of endurance.

Farah went on to add there was a slim chance that he might yet represent Britain at Tokyo 2020.

“If I’m the best in the marathon and can compete… it depends,” he said. “I think it is going to take at least two or three marathons to get it right to learn from it. It is not easy.”

Farah will race for the final time on the track at the Zurich Diamond League meeting on Thursday, 24 August and finish his season at September’s Great North Run.

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Source: BBC

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The Briton edged to the front with 800m to go and despite being almost tripped on his last lap, clocked 26 minutes and 49 seconds – his best time since 2011.

Joshua Cheptegei of Uganda was second in 26:49.94 with Kenya’s Paul Tanui third in 26:50.60.

Friday night’s victory was Farah’s sixth world title overall.

The win comes five years to the day since he claimed Olympic 10,000m gold on ‘Super Saturday’ at London 2012 and extends his unbeaten run over the distance to nine races stretching back to 2011.

He will again look to complete a double at a major championships when he begins the defence of his 5,000m title in the heats on Wednesday.

Success in the event would bring his final medal on the track as he will turn his focus to the marathon following the World Championships.

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Source: BBC

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Hackers Fancy Bears published documents on Wednesday which state Farah returned a sample which needed further testing.

The data goes on to show Farah was then cleared when his results were later viewed as “normal”.

“We have never been informed of any of Mo’s test results being outside of the legal parameters,” a spokesperson said.

“Nor has Mo ever been contacted by the IAAF about any individual result. It is totally incorrect and defamatory to suggest otherwise, and we will pursue any claims to the contrary through all necessary legal routes,” they added.

“It has been widely reported that previous leaks from this organisation have included false or altered documents, and we have asked the IAAF to urgently look into the validity.

“Regardless, any suggestion of misconduct is entirely false and seriously misleading. Mo Farah has been subject to many blood tests during his career and has never failed a single one.”

Farah, who won gold in the 5,000m and 10,000m at both the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, is preparing for the World Championships in London on 5 August.

Fancy Bears – thought to be a Russian hacking group – began releasing athlete data last year and focused largely on naming those who had sought Therapeutic Use Exemptions, which allow athletes to take banned substances for verified medical needs.

The IAAF – athletics’ world governing body – said in April it was hacked by the group in February. It said it believed Wednesday’s release of data is likely to be from the same hack but was “looking into” the matter.

Farah has always vociferously denied ever taking performance enhancing drugs.

His coach since 2011, Alberto Salazar, is currently under investigation by US Anti Doping but issued a 12,000- word open letter in 2015 denying accusations he violated anti-doping rules.

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Source: BBC

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