Mo Farah will go for a second gold medal in the 5,000m tonight as he bids to become Britain’s greatest track and field athlete.
Seven days ago the 29-year-old had the Olympic Stadium in raptures as he won
the 10,000m to build on an excellent 2012 Games for Great Britain
The nation’s best medal haul for 104 years was boosted even further today after a canoeist dubbed the “Usain Bolt of the water” won gold, the team’s 26th.
Ed McKeever stormed to victory in the 200m kayak sprint getting Team GB off to a glorious start on the last full day of Olympic competition.
And just over an hour later on the water, Britain picked up another medal as the two-man crew of Liam Heath and Jon Schofield took a kayaking sprint bronze.
There are further medal prospects today as Luke Campbell goes for boxing gold and Tom Daley dives for a medal in the Aquatic Centre.
A win for Farah would cement his position among Britain’s best, according to Games chief Lord Coe.
Asked whether Farah could achieve the double, the Locog chairman said: “Yes he can – a lot will depend on how much he really wants it.”
He added: “But if he thinks he can go down indelibly in British track and field as probably the greatest athlete we’ve produced, then yes. The question is, is he hungry?
“It would be hard to argue against a guy winning the 5,000m and 10,000m at an Olympic level.”
Kayak medallist McKeever, from Wiltshire, led from the front watched by yet another packed crowd at Eton Dorney.
After his victory the 28-year-old told the BBC he felt “not elation, more relief and so happy I could do it in front of the home crowd – it’s brilliant”.
He said he woke up today at 5am “like a kid at Christmas wanting to open my presents”.
“I am going to get that present in a minute,” he said before his medal ceremony.
Asked how he felt about being dubbed the “Usain Bolt of the water”, he said: “Luckily I have the gold medal to go with it now. I am more worthy of that tagline.”
The victories take Britain’s medal tally to 59 – 26 gold, 15 silver and 18 bronze.
Diver Daley recovered from a near-exit in the preliminary round to qualify for the tonight’s final of the men’s platform.
The 18-year-old from Plymouth said: “It was a lot better than last night. That’s the thing with diving – anything can happen… I’ve completely turned around my performance.”
Victories in the ring mean Britain has three chances of boxing gold, with one title bout today.
Campbell, 24, from Hull, will take on his family friend John Joe Nevin, of Ireland, as he bids to fulfil his lifelong ambition of winning an Olympic title.
“It’s all about the gold medal for me now,” Campbell said.
“But I’m proud of what I’ve done so far and I’m happy to make my family proud and my little lad and my home town of Hull.
“The support I have received from home and in the arena has been amazing.”
Welshman Fred Evans, who has delighted crowds with his no-holds-barred approach, will tomorrow hope to continue his magnificent run in the welterweight division.
And Anthony Joshua won his semi-final bout to secure his place in tomorrow’s super heavyweight final.
The real Usain Bolt will be looking for his third gold of the Games as the world’s fastest man joins Jamaica for the 4x100m relay final.
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