Ethiopian Muktar Edris won gold in the 5000m at the World Athletics Championships in London on Saturday night.
In doing so, Edris denied Mo Farah the 10000m and 5000m double that he and the BBC so badly desired. Farah had romped to victory in the longer event on the opening night of the championships last weekend.
On Saturday night, he did not have it all his own way. That was despite what the BBC commentary from Brendan Foster and Steve Cram would have led you to believe for much of the race.
Cram and Foster's fawning commentary made it sound like the 13 other athletes in the field were only putting one leg in front of the other because they were being told to do so by Farah. The other competitors did not know what to do under the spell of Farah's star power, we were told.
It must have been strange for the BBC duo to see the athletes they previously thought bereft of sentience to hit the front with 500m to go.
Great coverage of Mo's 5,000m lap of honour on BBC, with usual cheerleading. The poor fucker who actually won isn't getting a look in.
— Barry Glendenning (@bglendenning) August 12, 2017
BBC at 3k: This is so slow, it is playing into the hands of Mo Farah. BBC afterwards: He hasn't the speed in his legs any more #punditry
— Owen Cowzer (@OCowzer) August 12, 2017
In the end, it was a tremendous race as Edris, Farah, Paul Kipkemoi Chelimo and Yomif Kejelcha separated themselves from the field on the back straight of an exhilarating final lap.
Momentarily, it looked like Farah might not even take a medal. But, to his credit, he fought valiantly in the closing moments to claim silver.
