Athletics - Nigerian born Christine Ohuruogu and another African Mo Farah are among winners at London Anniversary Games
Mo Farah stormed to victory in the men’s 3000m while Christine Ohuruogu won the women’s 400m at the London 2012 Anniversary Games in the Olympic Stadium.
Olympic 10,000m and 5,000m champion Farah, who delighted the crowd with a ‘Mobot’ prior to the race, did not run the main part of the seven-and-a-half-lap race in record-breaking fashion despite the use of a pacemaker.
However he pulled away with his trademark sensational turn of speed to finish 150m clear of American Ryan Hull in recording a time of seven minutes 36.85 seconds, four seconds outside the British record.
"This is where I love to run and last year at the Olympics was a really big year for me," said Farah, who is now based in Oregon in the United States.
"This is where I made my name. Each time I race I want to make my country proud. I am honoured to represent my country.
"Tomorrow I'll go to St Moritz to train ahead of the World Championships and hopefully I'll get on the podium there."
There had been hopes that Somalia-born Farah, who was largely raised in Feltham, West London, would eclipse David Moorcroft's 31-year-old mark after he broke Steve Cram's British 1500m record last week.
London silver medallist and Beijing 2008 champion Ohuruogu won the one-lap in 50s dead at the London leg of the Diamond League - although the events contested by Ohuruogu, Farah, Johnson-Thompson and Ennis-Hill did not have Diamond League status - an indicator of great form ahead of August’s World Championships in Moscow.
It was a relatively lukewarm performance from Olympic heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis-Hillin the 100m hurdles, placing fourth, while she finished last in the long jump.
Ennis-Hill has been dogged by a persistent ankle injury that has decimated her season and, like Farah, was given a rapturous reception by those present for what was a crucial meet for the 27-year-old.
She had been forced to delay her comeback five times and has only competed twice in 356 days since the London Games, leading to doubts about whether she should compete in the multi-event in Moscow.
A poor start meant she was never in contention but she finished strongly in fourth with a time of 13.08 as Olympic champion Sally Pearson took the spoils with a season-best 12.65.
Ennis-Hill said after the race: "This was very nerve-wracking. It was my first race back and I couldn't prepare as best as I wanted. I was disappointed with my time.
“I'm lacking speed work at the moment having just started training this week. I'm going to have a chat with my coach and try and put things right for Moscow."
She added later that she will monitor how she recovers before deciding whether to compete in Russia.
"It’s definitely getting better which is a good thing and I just need to see how it is tomorrow but it’s that difficult decision of deciding whether I’m ready enough," she said.
"It’s a real dilemma, I hate making decisions as well so I think I’m going to have to sit down with my coach and see what’s best.
"It’s only two weeks now so I’d like to make a decision sooner rather than later so I can mentally get myself where I need to be if I do compete.”
The long jump was won by Briton Johnson-Thompson on countback from Bianca Stuart of the Bahamas as both jumped 6.46 while Britain's Lorraine Urgen finished third with 6.44.
Ennis-Hill's best was 6.16m, which put her eighth and last.
American Allyson Felix, who finally bagged Olympic gold last year after twice taking silver, had to work in the second half of the 200m to come home in 22.41, ahead of compatriot Shalonda Solomon.
"Such a special place, so many memories...," said the smooth-striding Felix, who will seek a fourth world title over the half-lap in Moscow.
A huge roar was afforded to Frenchman Renaud Lavillenie when he went over 6.02 metres for a world leading best in the pole vault. Emboldened, the confident Olympic champion then made three audacious attempts at a world record height of 6.16, but his hopes of usurping the great Sergei Bubka will have to wait for another day.
New Zealand shot-putter Valerie Adams, beaten by Nadzeya Ostapchuk in the Olympics but upgraded to gold after the Belarusian tested positive for a banned anabolic steroid, increased her season's best to 20.90 and a fourth successive world title surely beckons.
Other Games heroes fell short.
Shelly-Anne Fraser-Pryce set a world leading 10.77 in the 100m heats but paid for a slow start in the final as she was easily upstaged by Blessing Okagbare.
The Nigerian sprinter continued her fine Diamond League season by setting an African record of 10.79 to head to Moscow as a leading medal hope. Fraser-Pryce had to be content with fourth while world champion Carmelita Jeter pulled out of the final after suffering a hamstring twinge.
Olympic 110m hurdles champion Aries Merritt's last race before Moscow did not go to plan either, the world record holder coming to a premature halt after clipping the fifth hurdle.
"I'm thankful I'm not injured," the American said as he sheepishly waved to the crowd.
American David Oliver won the race from Briton William Sharman, who set a personal best of 13.26.
"It feels fantastic, it's been a long time coming for me. Everybody keeps telling me what I'm capable of but I haven't been fulfilling my potential till now,” Sharman said.
Olympic 400m hurdles champion Felix Sanchez, who 12 months ago shed tears on the podium after regaining his title at the age of 34, also cut a frustrated figure as the Dominican trailed home last in a race won by American Michael Tinsley, who Sanchez beat into silver in London.
"I've been playing around with different strategies this year, but that one was an absolute disaster," Sanchez admitted.
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