Watch: Farah collides with training partner before winning 10,000m gold
Mo Farah's Olympic gold medal defense in the 10,000m event Saturday was very nearly derailed by a mid-race collision with his training partner.
Related: Mo Farah overcomes fall to defend gold in 10,000m
The long-distance runner from Great Britain made contact with Galen Rupp of the United States on the 10th lap, dropping Farah to the ground and into ninth place.
Down, but most definitely not out.@Mo_Farah falls, gets up to win men's 10,000m #Gold.https://t.co/LJf9pvPIbV https://t.co/LxteU1DEVH
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) August 14, 2016
(U.S. only)
Defending Olympic champion #GBR's Mo Farah takes a fall in the men's 10,000m race. https://t.co/MKvCmpiB7U
— CBC Olympics (@CBCOlympics) August 14, 2016
(Canada only)
Farah recovered and overtook Kenya's Paul Kipngetich Tanui to repeat as the Olympic 10,000m champion.
Rupp, who finished fifth, took responsibility for the collision after the race.
"I bumped into him, there was a lot of pushing and guys slowing down in front of me," the American told Jenna Fryer of The Associated Press. "Obviously I didn't want it to affect the race at all, and wanted make sure he was OK.
"I told him to get behind me after that, (to) help lead him back up there. I'm just thankful it didn't affect the outcome."