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Great Britain's Mo Farah wins 5000 meters to complete London Games long-distance 'double'

Mohamed Farah crosses the finish line to win gold in the Men's 5000m Final (Getty Images)
Mohamed Farah crosses the finish line to win gold in the Men's 5000m Final (Getty Images)

LONDON – By his own admission, Mo Farah has never been much good at taking instructions.

As a cheeky schoolboy, he would regularly play pranks on his teachers, and it's a good thing he ignored a comedy video titled "Don't Do It" that Usain Bolt sent him on his wedding day.

But as a packed Olympic Stadium screamed at Farah to complete his perfect Olympic Games by winning the 5,000 meters on Saturday, he had no problem obeying.

[ Video: Friends Rupp and Farah go 1-2 in Men's 10,000m ]

Having won the 10,000 meters exactly seven days earlier, the Great Britain runner forced his way towards the front with six laps remaining and never relinquished control of the race. A blistering last lap saw him come under heavy pressure from eventual silver medalist Dejen Gebremeskel and third-place finisher Thomas Longosiwa, but Farah resisted their challenge before pulling away on the final straight to win in 13 minutes and 41.66 seconds.

Americans Bernard Lagat (fourth), Galen Rupp (seventh) and Lopez Lomong (10th) kept pace throughout but were burned off in the final lap.

As Farah crossed the line and provided a host nation that has far outstripped its own expectations with another golden memory, he immediately launched into the "Mobot," the celebration that has been mimicked around the country for the past week.

[ Related: U.S. track medalists under fire for relationship with man banned from sport ]

"Doing the Mobot" has become an internet craze in Britain, just as Farah, who moved to London from Somalia at eight years old, has become one of this country's favorite sons.

While he has the kind of bloody-mindedness required in any great athlete and fierce tenacity on the track, away from it he comes with a number of feel-good storylines.

Just as he did after the 10,000, Farah dedicated the victory to his wife Tania, who is heavily pregnant with twins and joined him at trackside once more.

Mohamed Farah holds a union jack as he celebrates winning gold in the Men's 5000m Final (Getty Images)
Mohamed Farah holds a union jack as he celebrates winning gold in the Men's 5000m Final (Getty Images)

"Now I have got a gold for each of the babies," Farah said. "The doctor told me that it could happen any day so I have been thinking about it and wondering. I am glad they didn't arrive just yet, and now I can't wait. Tania said she would tell me if anything happened."

"I am amazed, two gold medals. Who would have thought that? It is unbelievable."

Farah sat back early in the race and admitted there was still some fatigue in his legs from his exertions of a week ago when he capped off a "Super Saturday" that also saw British athletes Jessica Ennis (heptathlon) and Greg Rutherford (long jump) emerge victorious. However, the early pace worked to his advantage and at the midway point Farah was in strong shape and knew he had enough power in his legs to outrun his rivals.

[ Related: Farah celebrates win with calisthenics ]

"It's been a long journey of graft," Farah said. "I was a little bit tired and I wasn't confident but I have been in such good form. When they came at me I knew I had to hold onto the lead and I wasn't going to let them past."

Farah's victory means he becomes the first British man to complete the long-distance double in events that have been heavily dominated by Ethiopians in recent Olympics.

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