Experience is key for Greg Rutherford

Greg Rutherford will be drawing on his vast experience when he lines up in the long jump final on Saturday (August 13) after a qualification round which left fans on the edge of their seats.

The defending Olympic, world, European and Commonwealth long jump champion fouled his first two attempts before recording a leap of 7.90m in the final round to secure his spot in the final. Six centimetres less and he would have been out.

“Going into the final round I probably wasn’t as stressed as my family were at home,” said the 29-year-old, who will now go up against the likes of USA’s Jeff Henderson and China’s Wang Jianan in the final, the only two athletes to achieve the automatic qualifying mark of 8.15m in the first round. “For me it’s one of those things, you draw on all the experiences you’ve had. I know 7.90m is not good but it was just a matter of making the final.

“These are stressful events at times …

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