Olympics·Recap

Mo Farah repeats as 5,000 champion, Canada's Ahmed 4th

Britain's Mo Farah won the men's 5,000-metre final on Saturday, his second gold medal of the Rio Olympics, while Canada's Mohammed Ahmed came in fourth.

Brit first man to defend 5,000, 10,000 events since 1976

Britain's Mo Farah won gold in the men's 5,000-metre final on Saturday. (Ian Walton/Getty Images)

Britain's Mo Farah won the men's 5,000-metre final on Saturday, his second gold medal of the Rio Olympics.

Farah finished in 13 minutes 03.30 seconds to complete the double-double, having also won the 10,000 final last week. 

Farah is the first man to defend the 10,000 and 5,000 Olympic titles since Finland's Lasse Viren in 1976.

"It's every athlete's dream but I can't believe it," said Farah, who had to fight for his position early as the Ethiopians tried to set a strong pace. "I wasn't going to let the inside lane go. I didn't want to get boxed in"

Canada's Mohammed Ahmed finished fourth in 13:05.94. He was originally disqualified for a lane infringement under Rule 163.3b, which would come from stepping on the line or off the inside of the track.

The 25-year-old was eventually reinstated.

"Just so disappointed. I put everything into this race," said Ahmed, whose fourth-place finish was higher than Canada had ever placed in the event. "I went through so many emotions [in the past week]."

Ahmed appeared to be in contention for bronze in the final 400 metres, battling with American Paul Kipkemoi Chelimo for third place before running out of steam down the stretch. He crossed the line in fifth but moved up a spot when Muktar Edris of Ethiopia was disqualified.

Like Farah, Ahmed competed in the 10,000 last week, finishing in 32nd. He was hoping to redeem himself with a good showing in the 5,000. 

"These last seven days or so, I've been agonizing over that 10K. I went through hell bringing myself to this race. And I felt like today I was finally back to myself," said Ahmed. "I ran well and I saw that this was quick and I told myself, 'You can kick with these guys.' "

"I just absolutely fell apart in the last 120 metres. The podium was right there. I could taste it." 

Chelimo, another runner who had his disqualification rescinded, finished second in 13:03.90.

Hagos Gebrhiwet of Ethiopia won bronze in 13:04.35.

U.S. wins 4x400 women's relay

The U.S. won their sixth consecutive gold medal in the 4x400 women's relay, while Canada finished fourth.

Jamaica – which finished second – was the only country to come close to the Americans, as the two teams finished in 3:19.06 and 3:20.34, respectively.

Britain came in third in 3:25.88.

Canada was in bronze-medal position going into the third leg of the relay, but wasn't able to keep pace, finishing in 3:26.43.

"It was a great run, just came a little bit short," said Canada's Carline Muir. "We'll have them at the world championships."

The win gives American Allyson Felix her sixth gold medal in athletics. No other woman has five.

Felix, who also won gold in the 4x100 relay and silver in the 400 meters, ran the final leg of the race.

American men win relay as well

Not to be outdone by their female counterparts, the American men won the 4x400 relay in the final event of the night.

The U.S., anchored by LaShawn Merritt, crossed the finish line at 2:57.30.

The Americans were followed by Jamaica (2:58.16) and the Bahamas (2:58.49).

Botswana looked like it was going to snag only its second-ever Olympic medal, but was passed down the stretch by the Bahamas and Belgium en route to a fifth-place finish.

Centrowitz wins 1500m gold

American Matt Centrowitz won a surprise gold in the men's 1500-metre final on Saturday.

Centrowitz crossed the finish line in three minutes 50.00 seconds, followed by Algeria's Taoufik Makhloufi (3:50.11) and New Zealand's Nick Willis (3:50.24).

It was the first time the U.S. has taken gold in the event since Mel Sheppard in 1908.

"There's nothing like it. It doesn't compare to anything else I've won in my life," said Centrowitz. "Doing my victory lap, I literally kept screaming to everyone I know 'Are you kidding me?' "

Canadian Nathan Brannen finished 10th in 3:51.45.

"I wasn't expecting a 3:50, but you never know in the 15[00]," Brannen told CBC. "That's why it's such a fun event."

Spain's Beitia wins women's high jump, Treasure finishes 17th

​Spaniard Ruth Beitia cleared 1.97 metres to win the women's high jump final, while Canada's Alyxandria Treasure came in 17th.

Mirela Demireva of Bulgaria took silver while Bianka Vlasic of Croatia rounded out the podium.

Treasure cleared needed three attempts to clear 1.88 and was unable to get past 1.93.

She finished seventh at the Pan Am Games in Toronto last year.

Germany wins gold in men's javelin

Germany's Thomas Rohler threw a distance of 90.30 metres to win gold in the men's javelin.

Kenya's Julius Yego finished second at 88.24, and Trinidadian Keshorn Walcott edged out Johannes Vetter of Germany for bronze.

Walcott's 85.38 was just six centimetres ahead of Vetter.