Britain’s double Olympic champion Mo Farah produced a devastating 5,000m display on Saturday at the Diamond League event in London to prove he is in top form heading into the Rio Olympics.
The 33-year-old showed exactly why he is the favourite to defend his two Olympic titles in Brazil next month with a stunning example of speed and stamina at the Olympic stadium.
His time of 12 minutes and 59.29 seconds was the fastest mark of the year, and the fourth time in his career that he has dipped under 13 minutes.
Most ominously for those trying to catch him, particularly the Kenyans, this was his fastest time in the discipline since before the London 2012 Olympics.
Farah made his move after 3600m and never looked back, making the final 1400m appear almost like celebratory laps of honour. He crossed the finishing line by doing his trademark Mobot celebration.
Fellow Briton Andrew Butchart was second in a time of 13:14.85, with American Bernard Lagat third in a season’s best 13:14.96.
Dutchwoman Dafne Schippers consolidated her position as the No. 1 sprinter in the Diamond League format by winning the women’s 200m.
The world champion, who ran the third-fastest time in history in Beijing last year, crossed the line in 22.13sec - half a second ahead of American Tiffany Townsend.
Marie-Josee Ta Lou of the Ivory Coast set a personal best of 10.96sec to cruise to victory in the women’s 100m.
Trinidadian Michelle-Lee Ahye was second (10.99sec) while Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Jamaica’s 2008 and 2012 Olympic champion, was behind the pace in 11.06sec.
In a hotly-anticipated women’s long jump, Britain’s Katarina Johnson-Thompson earned a rare victory over compatriot and Olympic heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis-Hill.
Johnson-Thompson, 23, produced six consistent jumps, with her winning leap a season’s best of 6.84m.
The British Anguillan-born Shara Proctor was second with a 2016 best of 6.80m, while Ennis-Hill was seventh out of the eight competitors.
Another Briton, Matthew Hudson-Smith, was victorious in the men’s 400m in 45.03sec, while there was even more for the home fans to cheer as their men’s 4x100m relay squad produced the best time of the year.
Kerron Clement of the US edged out Puerto Rican Javier Culson in the men’s 400m hurdles with a season’s best of 48.40sec.
