BEIJING • British athlete Mo Farah shrugged off the turmoil and controversy surrounding his coach, Alberto Salazar, to win his second consecutive world 10,000m title yesterday.
Aided by his training partner, the American Galen Rupp who has also faced doping allegations that he strenuously denies, Farah completed the first part of what could be a historic 10,000m and 5,000m World Championships double in Beijing's Bird's Nest stadium.
Farah, under pressure in recent months over the allegations aimed at Salazar and Rupp, made his trademark move to hit the front shortly before the bell and kicked for home ahead of the Kenyans Geoffrey Kamworor and Paul Tanui.
The Kenyan pair had worked together throughout the race to try and stretch the double Olympic champion but he was just too strong.
A beaming Farah crossed the line with in 27min 01.13sec, ahead of Kamworor (27:01.76) and Tanui (27.02.83).
The Briton's victory was his sixth consecutive global track distance title, an unprecedented feat that saw him better the likes of Ethiopian legends Kenenisa Bekele and Haile Gebrselassie.
Since losing to Ibrahim Jeilan in the 10,000m at the 2011 World Championships in Daegu, Farah rebounded to win the 5,000m in South Korea, and followed up with 5,000m-10,000m doubles at both the London 2012 Olympics and the 2013 World Championships in Moscow.
Having now retained his 10,000m title, he will have a chance to make it seven global titles in the 5,000m, scheduled for next Saturday.
Should he win that race, he would become the first man to complete a 5,000 and 10,000m double at consecutive World Championships.
Earlier in the evening, sprint rivals Usain Bolt and Justin Gatlin sailed into the semi-finals of the men's 100m.
Boos rang round the packed stadium when Gatlin, who has served two doping bans, was introduced over the loudspeaker.
But the 33-year-old American roared home in the fastest time of 9.83sec, while defending champion Bolt, greeted with whoops at the stadium where he took the world by storm at the 2008 Olympics, cruised home in a very comfortable 9.96.
"Overall it was good," said Bolt, who celebrated his 29th birthday on Friday. "I wasn't trying to run fast. I was just trying to do as much as possible to get through the round."
Gatlin, 33, powered through to the line and pulled a pistol salute to television cameras after sending a clear message to his rivals.
"I just give it my all. When it gets to the final I'm going to go out there and execute my race and see what happens," said the American who has clocked the year's quickest time of 9.74.
Fellow American Trayvon Bromell, 20, also impressed, clearly easing up in clocking 9.91, having gone 9.84 earlier this season.
Tyson Gay - the double 2007 world sprint champion - posted an ordinary 10.11, while there were good performances from Frenchman Jimmy Vicaut (9.92), Canadian hope Andre de Grasse (9.99) and Jamaican Asafa Powell ( 9.95).
German Christina Schwanitz confirmed her status as the form shot-putter by winning her first world titlewith a throw of 20.37m.
The 29-year-old pushed Gong Lijao into second place with her third throw, leaving the Chinese to take silver with 20.30m.
American Michelle Carter threw 19.76m to beat Anita Marton - who bettered Hungary's national record with 19.48m - and take the bronze.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, THE GUARDIAN
IAAF World Championships
Day 2, morning: Singtel TV Ch115 & StarHub Ch209, 8.20am
Evening: Ch114 & Ch208, 6pm
