Greg Rutherford defied his critics yesterday to win the long-jump gold medal at the World Athletics Championships and complete a grand-slam of titles.
Rutherford became only the fifth athlete in history to win golds at the Olympic Games, World Championships, European Championships and Commonwealth Games to put an end to claims that he had been a “lucky” Olympic champion.
Rutherford recorded the two best leaps of the final at the Bird’s Nest Stadium in Beijing, with his best leap of 8.41 being the second farthest he has jumped in his career.
He has been a critic of British Athletics in recent weeks, while he has been forced to defend himself after criticism from former athletes who are BBC pundits.
“I say the odd controversial thing, but ultimately you have to answer critics on the track,” Rutherford said. “I’m the Olympic, world, Commonwealth and European champion now. I’m hoping that’s enough for people to accept I am a half-decent British athlete now.
Advertisement
“I knew if I came into a major championships fit and healthy I would have a chance of winning. But if I didn’t win, though, I would have taken a little bit of stick.”
Rutherford joins Daley Thompson, Sally Gunnell, Linford Christie and Jonathan Edwards as the athletes who have completed a grand slam of titles, having prepared for the championships in a long-jump pit that his father built for him in his back garden.
Rutherford courted controversy with his criticism of British Athletics in the run-up to the championships, saying that it had not given him any support and then lambasting them for the decision to replace the Union Jack on the Great Britain team vest with the British Athletics logo.
He said that athletes were afraid to speak out for fear of losing their funding, while he added that his remarks had led to strained relations at the team hotel. “There have been one or two awkward moments in the lift with a few members of staff,” he said. “That’s fine, I can deal with that. I’m used to being the black sheep.”
He was wrapped in a Union Jack as he ran round the track in Beijing, although he turned down the opportunity to wear a Union Jack waistcoat that he was handed by a member of the crowd in Beijing.
Advertisement
He has also been having a running battle with BBC pundits. He was upset when his Olympic achievement was played down by Edwards and Denise Lewis after a disappointing 2013 season, when he suffered a serious hamstring injury.
This week he hit back at Thompson and Michael Johnson after they criticised Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Mike Holmes, her coach, after she failed to set a long-jump mark in the heptathlon.
Johnson hit back yesterday, telling Rutherford to do “more jumping, less talking”, although he admitted that Rutherford “destroyed the field” in the final. “The flak I took after winning the Olympic title has been tough and at times you think, ‘Why am I bothering doing this?’ ” Rutherford said. “But to win a couple last year and win again this year, it’s great. This is very special.”