Mo Farah was the man of the moment once more as he streaked to a stunning 5000m victory to end the Muller Anniversary Games in emphatic style.
Double Olympic champion Farah finished a remarkable 15 seconds ahead of second-placed Andrew Butchart and the rest of the field, in what was his first competitive 5000m of the year.
He set a new world leading time of 12:59.29, with fellow Brit Butchart crossing the line in 13:14.85 at the capital’s Olympic Stadium, with the event also doubling up as the London leg of the Diamond League.
And in what was his last race before competing at next month’s Rio 2016 Olympic Games, Farah admitted the win was made even more special by the roar of the home crowd.
“I got amazing support from the crowd – I just wanted to go for it,” he said. “It was my last chance to run quick before Rio.
“I mean, I love this track, it means a lot to me. Not many people get a chance to compete in their hometown and have so many memories of the place.
“Rio is right around the corner but it means a lot to get the win before going into those championships.
“I am in good shape but I have to keep my feet on the ground. Anything can happen in two and a half weeks, it is all about staying patient now.”
Earlier in the day, the men’s 4x100m relay A team – consisting of Adam Gemili, Chijindu Ujah, James Dasaolu and James Ellington – also set a new world lead of 37.78, finishing 0.03 seconds ahead of Great Britain’s B team.
Their time was just 0.05 seconds slower than the current British record, and that, according to Ujah, sets the quartet in good stead ahead of competing in Brazil.
“This is my home city so to come and race against these guys in a very competitive field is amazing,” he said.
“I was definitely impressed with my performance in the heat, I am confident I have enough time on my hands and make it count on the world stage in Rio.”
Elsewhere, Shelayna Oskan-Clarke stole victory on the line with Lynsey Sharp dipping into second in the women’s 800m, and insists it was the perfect set-up ahead of her Olympic debut in August.
She said: “It was great to win today, this is probably the biggest win of my career. I ran the race well and timed it well at the end.
“I was in form a few weeks ago but it just takes me a while to get my form out. I am confident of the shape I am in and this is a stepping stone for me.”
Katarina Johnson-Thompson pipped British teammate Shara Proctor to the win in the women’s long jump in a line-up that also featured Olympic heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis-Hill.
The 23-year-old jumped 6.84m to set a new season best, four centimetres further than Proctor and almost 20 centimetres ahead of the rest of the pack.
Matthew Hudson-Smith was victorious in the 400m final as Rabah Yousef finished third with a new season’s best, while Dina Asher-Smith finished just short of the top three in the women’s 100m, with Desiree Henry finishing in sixth.
Sportsbeat 2016