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By Michael Place
RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Britain's Mo Farah clinched a rare long-distance double as five nations won gold medals on the last night of athletics at the Rio Olympics on Saturday.
The 33-year-old secured his second victory here by winning the 5,000m title in 13 minutes 3.30 seconds, just over a second ahead of Ethiopia's Hagos Gebrhiwet.
Bernard Lagat of the United States took bronze in a season's best 13:06.78.
Farah is only the second man to win both the 5,000m and 10,000m at two consecutive Olympics. Finland's Lasse Viren also achieved the feat in 1972 and 1976.
The US ran their best time of the year to win gold in the men's 4x400m relay, 86 hundredths of a second ahead of silver medallists Jamaica.
Lashawn Merritt, Arman Hall, Tony McQuay, and Gil Roberts confirmed their favoritism by charging to victory in two minutes 57.30 seconds.
The Bahamas grabbed bronze in 2:58.49. Merritt, who won two gold medals at the Beijing 2008 Games, also won bronze here in the 400m.
The US also won the women's 4x400m relay final - their sixth in a row - by streaking to a comfortable victory in Saturday's final.
The US recorded a season's best 3 minutes 19.06 seconds to defeat Jamaica by 1.28 seconds. Britain claimed bronze in 3:25.88.
Courtney Okolo gave the US an early lead and it was maintained for the rest of the race by Natasha Hastings, Phyllis Francis and Allyson Felix.
It was Felix's third medal of these Games following her gold in the 4x100m relay and silver in the 400m.
Thomas Rohler bagged Germany's 17th gold medal in Rio by winning the men's javelin.
The 24-year-old threw 90.30 meters to beat Kenya's world champion Julius Yego by more than two meters. Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago took bronze with a best throw of 85.38m.
Yego retired hurt before the end of the competition with an apparent leg injury.
Rohler's victory came despite a back problem that has interrupted his season.
Spain's Ruth Beitia surprised the field to win her maiden major title in the high jump. The 37-year-old took the gold medal on a countback after being one of four competitors with a best leap of 1.97m.
Mirela Demireva of Bulgaria claimed silver and Croatia's Blanka Vlasic bronze. Chaunte Lowe of the United States also posted a best effort of 1.97m.
South Africa's Caster Semenya set a national record to win gold in the women's 800m final.
The 25-year-old clocked 1 minute 55.28 seconds to beat Burundi's Francine Niyonsaba by 1.21 seconds. Kenya's Margaret Nyairera Wambui pocketed bronze in a personal best 1:56.89.
It was Semenya's second Olympic medal after her silver medal in the 800m at the London 2012 Games.
And Matt Centrowitz became the first American to win the Olympic men's 1,500m final in more than a century, holding off a late challenge from Algeria's Taoufik Makhloufi.
The 26-year-old took gold in three minutes 50.00 seconds, just 0.11 seconds ahead of Makhloufi. New Zealand's Nick Willis grabbed bronze.
Mel Sheppard was the last American to win the event at the 1908 Olympics in London.
Gold medal favorite Asbel Kiprop of Kenya finished sixth after falling midway through the race.
