Sir Mo Farah starts the quest for a fifth straight and final long distance running double at major events when he competes in the 10,000-metre final at the home world championships on Friday.
Farah was last beaten over the distance in 2011 when Ethiopia's Ibrahim Jeilan edged him by 26 hundredths of a second in Daegu over the distance.
Somalia-born Farah topped the 5,000m a few days later and has never looked back since, winning the double at the next four big events - the 2012 and 2016 Olympics as well as the 2013 and 2015 worlds.
None of his mainly African rivals have found an answer to his deadly kick in the final stretch as Farah is unbeaten in nine major races, a feat never achieved before and which puts him in the pantheon of distance running alongside Paavo Nurmi, Lasse Viren and Haile Gebrselassie.
Now he aims to come full circle before moving on to the marathon, at the Olympic Stadium where he got his first double at the 2012 Games in front of a delirious British home crowd.
The arena is expected to be packed on Friday and the fans can't wait for another celebration with the Famous "Mobot" gesture which is only rivalled in the sport by the "to the world" pose by Usain Bolt who is also having his swansong in London.
"I cannot wait for the championships. The preparation is going well, I am ticking all the boxes," Farah said in early July after winning a Diamond League 3,000m race in the Olympic Stadium.
Main rivals include Ethiopia's season leaders Abadi Hadis and Jemal Yimer, as well as Geoffrey Kamworor who will be part of another Kenyan team effort to unsettle and beat Farah.
The 5,000m then take place next week.
The vast success has earned the now 34-year-old Farah a knighthood but on the other side questions have also been raised around his coach Alberto Salazar who is under United States Anti-Doping Agency investigation after doping allegations.
A latest leak of documents by hackers Fancy Bears last month seemingly suggested that Farah was under suspicion as well but that he was cleared by the ruling body IAAF.
"I do what I do with love and joy. I can only control my legs. It is just a small minority who think to become a success you must be doing something," Farah said in the wake of the leak.
"I believe in clean sports and I just have to enjoy what I do and keep smiling."
By John Bagratuni
