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Mo Farah wins 10,000 at Euros in British 1-2

By WTOP Staff

RAF CASERT
AP Sports Writer

ZURICH (AP) — Mo Farah looked a picture of perfect health on Wednesday and made the image even better by adding another gold medal, a new Mobot dance and a hug from his friend Usain Bolt.

After being airlifted to a hospital with a stomach ailment barely a month ago, the Olympic and world champion won the 10,000 meters at the European Championships on Wednesday, setting him up for yet another long-distance double with the 5,000 still to come.

Farah led a British one-two as Andy Vernon swept past Turkey’s Ali Kaya in the final meters to claim silver inches.

After skipping the Commonwealth Games because of the four-day hospital stay and momentary heart worries, Farah looked composed from the opening gun, performing with maximum efficiency and minimum sweat to win his fourth straight European Championship event.

“I didn’t want to let people down after missing the Commonwealth Games,” he said.

He already won the Euro long-distance double in 2010 and the 5,000 in 2012, his only race two years ago as he was preparing for his Olympic double.

In cold and blustery weather on Wednesday, Farah finished in a slow 28 minutes, 8.11 seconds, 0.55 seconds ahead of Vernon — who beat Kaya by 0.01 seconds.

Farah’s victory would normally have been a given at the Euros, but had looked doubtful earlier this summer when after a training run, he collapsed on his bathroom floor in Park City, Utah, and had to be airlifted to a hospital.

“They thought something was wrong with my heart. It was scary at times,” Farah said.

Once that worry proved ill-founded, further tests on his stomach also failed to come up with a clear diagnosis. So, he was given the all-clear to compete.

After Wednesday’s race, Farah went up in the VIP stands to seek out Bolt, where the sprint and long-distance greats embraced.

“He is someone who has been there and done it and he is a friend of mine,” Farah said.

On top of that, he showed off a new version of his signature Mobot move where he brings his hands on top of his head in the shape of a heart. On Wednesday, he did a little dance on top.

“Boring seeing the same picture, so I said I’d give them something,” Farah said.

Farah was also proven right when, moments ahead of the men’s 100 final, he predicted that “Dasaolu will win.”

Sure enough, James Dasaolu came through to take gold in 10.06 seconds ahead of double defending champion Christophe Lemaitre of France and fellow Briton Harry Aikines-Aryeetey.

And making it triple gold for Britain on Wednesday night, Tiffany Porter won the women’s 100 hurdles ahead of France’s Cindy Billaud.

In the women’s 100, heptathlete turned sprinter Dafne Schippers of the Netherlands claimed the first of what she hopes will be three golds, turning on the turbo late to win the final in 11.12 seconds into a strong headwind. She bead Myriam Soumare of France by 0.04 seconds, while Britain’s Ashleigh Nelson took bronze in 11.22. Defending champion Ivet Lalova of Bulgaria came fifth.

Schippers is also favored to win the 200 later in the week and will compete with the Dutch sprint relay team over the weekend.

“This is giving me a shot of energy,” she said of her gold-medal run. “Now, I have to recover as quickly as possible because tomorrow morning I have my 200 heat.”

In the men’s discus Germamy’s Robert Harting was as dominating as ever, adding the second European title to three world championships and one Olympic gold. He beat his longtime rival Gerd Kanter of Estonia and Poland’s Robert Urbanek.

All day, rain, wind and cold temperatures hit Zurich but the men’s race walkers still managed to create a thrilling finish as Miguel Angel Lopez of Spain pulled away from two Russians to win the 20-kilometer event. Aleksandr Ivanov took silver and Denis Strelkov took bronze.

In the decathlon, Andrei Krauchanka of Belarus took gold ahead of France’s Kevin Mayer and Ilya Shkurenyov of Russia.

In the women’s long jump, Eloyse Lesueur of France won ahead of Ivana Spanovic of Serbia and Darya Klishina of Russia.

___

Raf Casert can be followed on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/rcasert

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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