Rio 2016: Farah, Semenya shine in final track session

Omnisports

August 21, 2016 10:40 AM

We round up the main talking points from the last track and field session at Rio 2016, which saw gold medals awarded in seven events.

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Mo Farah and Caster Semenya were the most notable winners on the final evening of track and field action at Rio 2016, the former claiming his fourth Olympic gold medal.

Farah successfully defended his 5000 metre title on Saturday, having done likewise in the 10,000m last weekend.

The Briton's latest triumph came courtesy of the sort of blistering final lap that has become his trademark, with the United States' Paul Chelimo eventually confirmed as the silver medallist after he had been disqualified and then reinstated. Hagos Gebrhiwet of Ethiopia took bronze.

Semenya was a predictably emphatic winner of the women's 800m, although the South African's success - in a new national record time - sparked further debate over the controversial and complex issue of hyperandrogenism in female athletes.

While Farah and Semenya lived up to high expectations, there was a surprise winner of the men's 1500m. Matthew Centrowitz, who finished just outside the medals at London 2012, produced a strong sprint finish at the end of a slow race to become the first American winner of the event in 108 years.

Algeria's Taoufik Makhloufi followed up his silver in the 800m with another second-placed finish, making him the first man to reach the podium in both middle-distance events at the same Games since Sebastian Coe in 1984.

Ruth Beitia of Spain won gold in the women's high jump, although her winning clearance of 1.97m was lower than the best efforts of Nafissatou Thiam and Katerina Johnson-Thompson in last week's heptathlon. Thiam had been due to compete in the high jump, but withdrew citing mental and physical exhaustion following her shock heptathlon triumph.

Germany's Thomas Rohler won the men's javelin, while USA triumphed in the men's and women's 4x400m relays.

HIGHLIGHT

Farah's position among the distance-running greats was already assured. Yet he produced another moment to savour on Saturday, a typically devastating kick on the final bend securing yet another major title.

RECORD-BREAKERS

Semenya had been tipped to challenge the long-held 800m world record of Jarmila Kratochvilova, but came home two seconds outside of the Czech's landmark time. Julius Yego of Kenya claimed silver in the men's javelin - the first medal by an African in the event.

QUOTES OF THE DAY

"If you finished fourth and somebody stepped on the line once and got no advantage and you finish fourth, do you really want to say 'gosh, I won the bronze medal because a guy cheated'," Bernard Lagat was briefly promoted to third in the men's 5000m following Chelimo's disqualification, but the veteran was happy for the bronze medal to be taken from him.

"Doing my victory lap, I literally kept screaming to everyone I know 'Are you kidding me?'" - Centrowitz had not expected to be celebrating a gold in Rio.

WHAT'S NEXT?

The only remaining athletics event is the men's marathon, which takes place from 9:30am local time on Sunday - the final day of the Games.

Omnisports

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