BIRMINGHAM, Aug 27: Sleep-deprived double Olympic champion Mohamed Farah was almost caught napping during the two-mile race at a Diamond League meeting here on Sunday before easing to victory to the delight of a sell-out crowd.
There was relief for American sprinter Tyson Gay after he safely negotiated his first competitive 200 metres for two years and compatriot Carmelita Jeter beat Jamaica’s Olympic 100-metre champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce for the second time in four days.
Britain’s Farah, whose wife gave birth to twin girls on Friday, had to produce his trademark turn of speed on the final lap of the distance race when Italian Daniele Meucci suddenly attacked on the outside.
With a wicker replica of Farah in his celebratory ‘Mobot’ pose overlooking the track, the London Games 10,000 and 5,000 metres champion kicked and pulled away from the field on the home straight, sending the stadium wild, to win in eight minutes 27.24 seconds. Meucci was second in 8:28.28.
“I love competing on British soil, it’s what it is all about, getting the support from everyone and I just appreciate everyone being with me all the way,” Farah told reporters.
“It hasn’t been the easiest week because my wife gave birth to two little girls, so it hasn’t been easy coming here and getting this out the way.
“What a year I’ve had, it will never happen again like this — two twins, two gold medals,” added Farah who has said he will give one to each girl.
Former world champion Gay started well in the 200 metres but tightened up down the home straight and finished behind Jamaica’s Nickel Ashmeade, who won in 20.12 seconds.
Gay finished second in 20.21 seconds.
Racing next to her great rival, Jeter eased ahead of Fraser-Pryce early on in the 100 metres and never looked like being caught as she won in a meeting record of 10.81 seconds.
Twice Olympic champion Fraser-Pryce, wearing a black and yellow ribbon in her plaited hair, was second (10.90) as she had been in Lausanne on Thursday.
There were no nervous twitches from Aries Merritt in the 110 hurdles as the Olympic gold medallist, who was disqualified for a false start in Lausanne, held off world champion Jason Richardson for victory in 12.95.
Olympic high jump champion Ivan Ukhov suffered a second successive Diamond League defeat when he finished behind London bronze medallist Robert Grabarz of Britain, who cleared 2.32 metres.
There was also disappointment for Britain’s long jump gold medallist Greg Rutherford who had treatment for a groin problem during the competition on Sunday and could manage only third behind Russian Aleksandr Menkov (8.18 metres).
Leading results:
Men’s:
200 metres: 1. Nickel Ashmeade (Jamaica) 20.12 seconds; 2. Tyson Gay (US) 20.21; 3. Wallace Spearmon (US) 20.23.400 metres: 1. Angelo Taylor (US) 44.93 seconds; 2. Luguelin Santos (Dominican Republic) 44.96; 3. Jonathan Borlee (Belgium) 45.15.1,500 metres: 1. Mekonnen Gebremedhin (Ethiopia) 3:34.80; 2. Nixon Kiplimo Chepseba (Kenya) 3:35.09; 3. James Kiplagat Magut (Kenya) 3:35.74.Two miles: 1. Mohamed Farah (Britain) 8:27.24; 2. Daniele Meucci (Italy) 8:28.28; 3. Garrett Heath (US) 8:29.43.110-metre hurdles: 1. Aries Merritt (US) 12.95 seconds; 2. Jason Richardson (US) 12.98; 3. David Oliver (US) 13.28.3,000-metre steeplechase: 1. Jairus Kipchoge (Kenya) 8:20.27; 2. Abel Kiprop Mutai (Kenya) 8:25.42; 3. Donald Cabral (US) 8:32.55.High jump: 1. Robert Grabarz (Britain) 2.32 metres; 2. Ivan Ukhov (Russia) 2.28; 3. Andrey Silnov (Russia) 2.28.Long jump: 1. Aleksandr Menkov (Russia) 8.18 metres; 2. Christian Taylor (US) 7.95; 3. Greg Rutherford (Britain) 7.88.Discus throw: 1. Robert Harting (Germany) 66.64 metres; 2. Gerd Kanter (Estonia) 65.79; 3. Virgilijus Alekna (Lithuania) 65.63.Women’s:100 metres: 1. Carmelita Jeter (US) 10.81 seconds; 2. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (Jamaica) 10.90; 3. Alexandria Anderson (US) 11.22.400 metres: 1. Rosemarie Whyte (Jamaica) 50.20 seconds; 2. Christine Ohuruogu (Britain) 50.67; 3. Francena McCorory (US) 51.00.800 metres: 1. Mariya Savinova (Russia) 2:00.40; 2. Pamela Jelimo (Kenya) 2:01.43; 3. Marilyn Okoro (Britain) 2:01.96.1,500 metres: 1. Anna Pierce (US) 4:11.33; 2. Laura Weightman (Britain) 4:11.79; 3. Hilary Stellingwerff (Canada) 4:11.94.3,000 metres: 1. Mercy Cherono (Kenya) 8:41.21; 2. Vivian Jepkemoi Cheruiyot (Kenya) 8:41.22; 3. Sally Jepkosgei Kipyego (Kenya) 8:42.74.400-metre hurdles: 1. Kaliese Spencer (Jamaica) 53.78 seconds; 2. Perri Shakes-Drayton (Britain) 54.08; 3. Zuzana Hejnova (Czech Republic) 54.14.Pole vault: 1. Jennifer Suhr (US) 4.65 metres; 2. Yarisley Silva (Cuba) 4.65; 3. Fabiana Murer (Brazil) 4.42, 3 equal. Jirina Ptacnikova (Czech Republic) 4.42.Triple jump: 1. Olha Saladuha (Ukraine) 14.40 metres; 2. Kimberly Williams (Jamaica) 14.37; 3. Olga Rypakova (Kazakhstan) 14.34.Shot put: 1. Valerie Adams (New Zealand) 20.52 metres; 2. Michelle Carter (US) 18.71; 3. Cleopatra Borel (Trinidad and Tobago) 18.36.Javelin throw: 1. Barbora Spotakova (Czech Republic) 66.08 metres; 2. Christina Obergfoell (Germany) 63.19; 3. Vira Rebryk (Ukraine) 62.82.—Reuters