Teddington's British international Mo Farah has qualified for the men's 3,000m final at the World Indoor Athletic Championships in Valencia, Spain, after finishing third in his heat in a time of eight minutes 4.65 seconds.

Running in the first of two heats, the 24-year-old needed to finish in the top four to be assured of his progression and he did so comfortably, holding off the fast-finishing Spaniard Sergio Sanchez for third place behind Kenyan Edwin Cheruiyot Soi and Tariku Bekele of Ethiopia.

In the second heat, Teddington-based Aussie Craig Mottram also finished third, clocking 7:55.27 in a much faster race to earn his place in the final.