LONDON - World champion Mohamed Farah secured Britain's first Olympic gold medal in the men's 5,000 meters on Saturday to deafening cheers, a week after winning gold in the 10,000. Farah, who finished in a time of 13 minutes 41.66 seconds, became the seventh man to win both the 5,000m and 10,000m events at the same Olympics. Dejen Gebremeskel of Ethiopia, this year's fastest man, finished in a time of 13:41.98 in silver with Kenya's Thomas Pkemei Longosiwa in bronze.
In women’s 800m, Russian Mariya Savinova added Olympic gold to her world crown when she stormed to an impressive victory. South African Caster Semenya made up late ground to win silver and Russian Ekaterina Poistogova took bronze.
Russia's Yelena Lashmanova won the women's 20km walk Olympic title on Saturday in a new world record of 1hr 25min 02sec. The 20-year-old's late surge saw her pass longtime leader and defending champion Olga Kaniskina of Russia (1hr 25min 09sec) while China's Qieyang Shenjie set an Asian record in taking bronze (1hr 25min 16sec). It was the first time Russia have taken gold and silver in the event and third time in six editions they have won the title. Lashmanova's victory had looked a longshot as Kaniskina dominated until she tired on the last two laps and had nothing left as the teenager swept past her just 50 metres before the finish line.
Elsewhere Saturday, the US women's basketball team will attempt to preserve one of the most dominant records in Olympic competition when they meet France in the gold medal match. The Americans are chasing a fifth consecutive title and a seventh crown in eight Olympics against the unbeaten French side. Australia beat Russia 83-74 in the bronze medal match.
The men's hockey event will see the Netherlands aim to win their first Olympic title for 12 years when they face Germany. The Dutch are brimming with confidence after demolishing Britain 9-2 in the semi-finals. On the medals table, the United States were four gold medals clear of China with 41 titles to 37. Britain were third with 27.
Meanwhile, a Syrian athlete was expelled from the Olympics after testing positive for a banned substance. Ghfran Almouhamad, who competed in the women's 400 metres hurdles, was the 11th athlete to be thrown out since the start of the Olympic period which began on July 16. The 10-strong Syrian team has attracted considerable media attention during London 2012, less for its sporting achievements than the bloody conflict raging at home between rebels and forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad.
Russia's Tatyana Lysenko, who watched the 2008 Olympics on TV while serving a two-year doping ban, won the women's hammer.
Friday's women's 5,000 produced an upset as Meseret Defar surged to victory to deny her compatriot Tirunesh Dibaba, winner of the 10,000 a week ago, a historic second double of Olympic distance titles. And the Bahamas, silver medallists four years ago, ran down a weakened U.S. 4x400m quartet in the home straight, ending the Americans' 28-year Olympic reign in the event. Russia's Tatyana Lysenko, who watched the 2008 Olympics on TV while serving a two-year doping ban, won the women's hammer. And appearing in the men's 4x100m relay semi-finals were American Justin Gatlin and Briton Dwain Chambers, both time-served drugs cheats. Asli Cakir Alptekin, who served a two-year ban for doping from 2004, led a Turkish 1-2 in the women's 1,500 metres, a distance riddled with drugs in recent years.
The American quartet of Tianna Madison, Allyson Felix, Bianca Knight and Jeter clocked 40.82 seconds to win the title back for the first time since 1996, smashing East Germany's world record which had stood since 1985. "It is a relief, it is a joy. It is everything," Olympic 200 champion Felix told reporters. "It is the most comfortable that I have seen this team. we were laughing, we were smiling...we have never been like that."