Sir Mo Farah had tears in his eyes after falling narrowly short of London double

An emotional Sir Mo Farah broke down in tears after missing out on a fairytale finale at the World Championships.

Sir Mo Farah had tears in his eyes after falling narrowly short of London double

An emotional Sir Mo Farah broke down in tears after missing out on a fairytale finale at the World Championships.

The four-time Olympic champion failed to mount a third defence of his 5,000m title as Ethiopia's Muktar Edris claimed gold in London on Saturday.

Farah, who had already won the 10,000m last week, had not lost a final in 2,176 days.

The 34-year-old collapsed to the track after the race and covered his face before being hauled to his feet.

He is due to retire from the track at the end of the month, after the Diamond League final in Zurich, to focus on the marathon, and conceded he was overcome in the London Stadium.

He said: "I had tears in my eyes, I've never had that before. It's been an amazing journey. To end it in London, where it all started, I got a bit emotional.

"I look at my family, what I've done and it gets to you. At the end of the day I'm human and it hasn't all been a smooth ride.

"If I had it perfect it would have been nice to end in double double but anything is possible. At some point it has to come to an end.

"I always told myself London is where it started and London was where it was going to stop. I was known as normal Mo and then overnight after London I was 'Mo', I couldn't go anywhere. To finish here is a nice thing.

"I know myself when I crossed the line there was nothing left of me, nothing. I gave my all. Over the years it has worked and I crossed the line first, but not tonight."

Farah won the 10,000m and 5,000m at the 2013 and 2015 World Championships while he also claimed the 5,000m crown in 2011, taking silver in the 10,000m - the last time he was beaten.

He crossed the line in 13 minutes 33.22 seconds but was defeated after failing to mount a recovery in the last 200m in a frantic sprint finish.

Edris finished in 13mins 32.79secs, with the United States' Paul Chelimo third.

Edris did the 'Mobot' - Farah's trademark celebration - soon after crossing the line but Farah dismissed any suggestions it was a taunt in his own back yard.

"These guys all respect me and the reason why he did that is they respect me for what I've done for the sport," he said.

"It's no secret to what we do. These guys have seen me year after year and to be able to have that long career and keep coming back.

"I have to give credit to Edris. The Ethiopians had a game plan and they had to sacrifice one, Yomif Kejelcha, to get a medal so Edris could sit at the back and do as little work as possible and to beat me on the last lap."

Farah runs in Birmingham in the Diamond League next Sunday before finishing in Zurich and is now eager to start a new era on the road.

He said: "In terms of my chapter of my life I wanted to close here. I've got races in Birmingham and Zurich but it doesn't really matter. In terms of major championships I'm done, that chapter of my life is closed and I want to start a new one and move on to the roads.

"If you look at the history, it doesn't lie. What I've achieved has been incredible. I know I gave it all, the better man won on the day. It's a matter of staying hungry, motivated and for me to start a new challenge.

"I've seen a lot of great athletes go to the road and run decent times."

British team-mate Andrew Butchart finished eighth in 13mins 38.73secs.

Meanwhile, Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Morgan Lake finished fifth and sixth respectively in the women's high jump.

They both failed to clear 1.97 metres - just one centimetre short of Johnson-Thompson's personal best - having jumped 1.95m and Ashley Bryant came 11th in the decathlon with 8,049 points.

AP

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