Olympics Rio 2016: Mo Farah wins ‘double double’ after 5000m masterclass

The British great – who won the 10,000m title last Saturday – got his tactics spot on as he dictated the pace before taking his fourth gold in 13:03.30 after another final lap burn-up.

There was initial confusion surrounding the silver medal as the United States’ Paul Chelimo was disqualified following a scrappy conclusion – promoting his 41-year-old compatriot Bernard Lagat into bronze.

However, the decision was eventually reversed, pushing Ethiopia’s Hagos Gebrhiwet down into bronze and Lagat off the podium all together. After rising as high as fourth, GB’s Andrew Butchart was eventually confirmed in sixth following further reinstatements.

Unlike previous pedestrian attempts to dethrone Farah, Ethiopian duo Dejen Gebremeskel and Gebrhiwet set a strong pace through the opening kilometre as the field quickly stretched out.

However, they soon abandoned that tactic as Farah eased to the front, slowed the pace and invited his rivals to bunch back together.

That led to a final lap showdown with an inevitable outcome as the 33-year-old fended off a fast-finishing Chelimo to maintain his five-year unbeaten run at major championships.

"I can't believe it. My legs were a bit tired after the 10k. I don't now how I recovered," Farah told reporters.

"It shows I didn't just fluke it in London, to do it again is incredible. I just want to see my kids and hang this medal around their necks."

Farah is only the second man in history to defend the long distance double, matching Finnish ace Lasse Viren’s efforts from 1972 and 1976.