World Championships Doha: Logan Fontaine Comes Through At The Touch To Lead Home Marc-Antoine Olivier For French 1-2 In 5k
Logan Fontaine charged through in the final metres to take the 5km and lead home Marc-Antoine Olivier for a French 1-2 at the World Championships in Doha.
Gregorio Paltrinieri was ahead coming into the final straight, having gone stroke for stroke with Olivier, but the lead evaporated as the pack charged with Fontaine coming on the inside to take the touch in 51:29.3.
Olivier matched his 10k silver, 0.03 behind in 51.29.6 with Domenico Acerenza third in 51:30.0 with just 0.7secs separating the first three home.
Kristof Rasovsky – winner of the 10k – was fourth ahead of Paltrinieri and David Betlehem.
Olympic champion Florian Wellbrock set a searing pace, splintering the field, on the first lap and by the end of the second he was going stroke for stroke with Paltrinieri with Olivier third and Rasovszky, Betlehem, Acerenza and Fontaine in the second string behind the pair.
Wellbrock and Paltrinieri were trading the lead with neither man able to make a lasting break as Olivier made his move, looking to come between the two.
Olivier moved up on the outside of Paltrinieri, the Italian breathing to his right and eyeballing the Frenchman with the pair synchronised.
Olivier inched ahead out of the final turning buoy but Paltrinieri wouldn’t let up and led into the shoot before Fontaine made his charge for gold.
