Rio 2016: Mo Farah knows 'it's a jungle out there' after surviving another stumble in 5,000m

The consequences of that track fall in the 10,000m final on Saturday night are still there for Mo Farah. “My shoulder. I feel it when I sleep at night. It hurts me, but I’ll be alright,” he said. But his powers of concentration were concerning him most about how he progressed to the 5,000m final.

Farah stumbled again in his attempt to become the second man after Finland's Lasse Viren (1972/76) to retain both the 10,000m and 5,000m titles, and he attributed that to focus. He regained his poise but American Hassan Mead, who clipped him as he fell, missed out on qualification.

“I always seem to get tangled up somehow but I managed to stay on my feet. It’s quite nerve-wracking getting back, you know? I’m just getting back into the zone again. You take yourself away from it a bit and that what I did I think, as soon as I’d won [the 10,000m]. In the 10k I was on the edge and nothing could get in my way and [then] I was a little bit distracted so now I have to get back into the zone and focus.”

Farah just about retained his balance after his stumble to qualify safely in a heat won by Ethiopian Hagos Gebrhiwet, who is likely to be one of his chief rivals in the final.

Gebrhiwet, 22, missed the 10,000m to concentrate his efforts on the shorter run after taking silver and bronze behind Farah over 5,000 in the last two world championships.

Gebrhiwet was the one he had in mind when discussion what lies between himself and that double. “These guys are ready for me,” he said. “So I just have to get myself back in that frame of mind and get ready for it. I’m still hungry and I still want it so that’s the important thing.”

Dejen Gebremeskel, who took silver to Farah's gold in the London Olympics and also skipped the 10,000 in Rio, is also likely to challenge in the final, and qualified safely from the second heat.

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Farah went off first before the Japanese Kota Murayama and German Richard Ranger made an early breakaway. With five laps to go Farah took to the shoulder of Gebrhiwet, the stumble ruled out any prospects of winning the heat.

“I still have to recover, lock myself in a room and just get ready for this race, because I was a little bit tired today,” Farah said. “It’s just obviously because of the heat and having run 10k and mentally, you know? Just getting back.”

The prospect of Britain’s eclipsing their London medals total meant something to him, he said.

“At London we thought it was home advantage but coming here another four years later and having improved from that…. Having the London Olympics has helped us, not just in athletics but all sports. You just have to look at the medals table now. We are ahead so it’s a great thing and everyone is inspiring one another – like cycling, ourselves. I was watching. But in track and field we’ve still got a little bit left.”