London (AFP) – Former Olympic long-jump champion Greg Rutherford is contemplating a bid for the World Indoor title in front of a British home crowd as he looks to add the only major title that has so far eluded him in his career.
Rutherford put a lengthy injury lay-off behind him by winning the British Indoor Championship in Birmingham — the venue for next month’s World Indoors — with a first-round effort of 7.80 metres on Saturday.
Although that left the 31-year-old short of the qualifying standard for the global championship of 8.19m, Britain’s host nation status means they can, regardless, enter an athlete in an event where they otherwise lack representation.
Rutherford is now due to compete at next weekend’s indoor Grand Prix in Glasgow, after which he will make a decision about whether to have a crack at trying to add to the World Indoor title to a gold medal collection that includes the 2012 Olympic, 2014 Commonwealth, 2014 European and 2015 World (outdoors) titles.
“If they are still willing to put me in, I’ll feel through Glasgow and I’ll push it on a bit within the next week,” said Rutherford.
“If all goes well, then why not? The long jump is always a very open event and I’ll have a home crowd on a runway that I quite enjoy. It will be an incredible turnaround if I make it.”
Rutherford, also a bronze medallist at the 2016 Olympics in Rio, competed just three times last year, with groin and ankle operations meaning he was unable to defend his World Championship title in London.
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