Mo Farah battles to win back European 10,000-metre gold

British Olympic track champion Mo Farah had to battle to win back his European 10,000-metre title as his fellow countryman Andy Vernon claimed a silver medal.

Farah, who had been ill or injured for much of the summer, performed good in his second track race of the season to match his teammate Jo Pavey's distance gold.

In a slow race a large lead group went through halfway in 14 minutes nine seconds, and with four laps to go seven athletes were in theoretical contention. Farah went into the lead with 600-metres to go and opened out as always at the bell, but only in the final 60 metre did he get rid of Turkey's Ali Kaya before Vernon's late surge, The BBC reported.

Farah, who won in 28 minutes and 8.12 seconds, now has five European golds, one more than Colin Jackson and Steve Backley, and nine medals in major championships, a tally that out-strips Daley Thompson, Jonathan Edwards and Linford Christie.

The 31-year-old double world and Olympic champion will have the chance to win another gold in the 5,000-metre on Sunday.

Farah said that he had been really ill a few weeks ago but training has gone well, and added that winning the European Championships again really does mean a lot to him.

Farah said that he did not want to let people down after missing the Commonwealth Games, as it hasn't been easy. He said that he won the 5,000-metre and 10,000-metre double in Barcelona in 2010 and won one title in Helsinki two years ago. Now, he said that he is excited for the 5,000-metre and hopes to run well again.