Legend status cemented as Mo Farah overcomes fall to win third Olympic gold

THEY said the only way they’d beat Mo Farah in the Olympic 10,000m was to knock him over. They were wrong. Farah got knocked down with 15 laps to go and still won.

Britain's Mo Farah wins the 10,000m to claim his third Olympic gold

THEY said the only way they’d beat Mo Farah in the Olympic 10,000m was to knock him over. They were wrong.

Farah got knocked down with 15 laps to go and still won and the legend of the boy taken to England from war-torn Somalia at age eight who became a track legend gained another rich layer.

On his first day at school in England Farah rehearsed three phrases – “where is the toilet?’’, “c’mon then’’ and “excuse me.”

Britain's Mo Farah wins the 10,000m to claim his third Olympic gold

No one muttered third last night during the rough and tumble middle stages when he fell.

Last night was his third Olympic gold medal, more than any other British track athlete and it was one of the great track victories.

Cate Campbell began slowly in her 100m freestyle final and panicked trying to catch up.

Farah, not adverse to the odd push and shove when the heat’s on, was knocked off kilter as well and his initial instinct, like Campbell, was to take flight.

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But an inner voice told him not to snatch at it.

Smooth as a Bentley, he methodically regained his rhythm. Inside, however, he was churning.

“Very emotional,’’ Farah said of his knockdown. “When I went down I was very worried. You don’t expect it. It was hard mentally.

“You start thinking about all the hard work you have put in and the fact that it could be gone in an instant.

“I settled myself by thinking I just wanted to do it for my kids. I do it for my country and I do it for them.’’

Farah overcame a fall early in the race to claim gold

Farah now lives in Oregon where he is comfortably removed from the hype which engulfed him in Great Britain.

So famous did he become after his London 5000-10000 double he started going out wearing a hoodie in London to hide away from his fame.

British coaches have been saying for some time that Farah has an acute psychological hold over his tormented rivals, particularly the Kenyans and that hold will be positively vice-like after last night.

In the last lap of the race Kenyan Paul Tanui flew past Farah and took off for dear life before being run down and outclassed.

Barring getting him to drag a ball and chain the Kenyans may feel after his twin Olympic gold medals in London and last night’s gem the man is nigh unbeatable on the sport’s greatest stage.

Originally published as Legend status cemented as Mo Farah overcomes fall to win third Olympic gold