The final day of Track and Field events at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games was filled with so much anticipation and excitement, with the main events being the men’s 5000m, women’s 800m, men’s 1500m, women’s High Jump, men’s Javelin throw and men and women’s 4x400m relays.
Reigning World Champion in the 5000m/10,000m, Mo Farah successfully completed a historic ‘Double Double’, becoming the first man in four decades to win the long distance double in two successive Olympic Games.
True to prediction, South Africa’s Caster Semenya dominated the women’s 800m, racing to a National Record (NR) of 1:55.28 to inspire a 1-2-3 for the continent in the event on Saturday.
Meanwhile a major upset occurred in the men’s 1500m as Asbel Kiprop was left trailing in 6th place, with USA’s Matthew Centrowitz storming to the title in 3:50.00.
37-year old Ruth Beitia finally clinched an Olympic medal in the women’s High Jump, striking GOLD to finish ahead of Bulgaria’s Mirela Demireva and former World Champion Blanka Vlašic.
Germany’s Thomas Röhler was the man to beat in the Javelin, claiming his first title in a major competition following his winning throw of 90.30m.
USA dominated the men and women’s 4x400m relays, with Allyson Felix anchoring the women’s team to GOLD in a Season’s Best (SB) of 3:19.06, while the men’s squad reclaimed GOLD from the Bahamas who won the event at the London 2012 Games.
