Greg Rutherford to Retire After European Championships

By Adam Kopet

Greg Rutherford is a former Olympic and world champion in the long jump for Great Britain. Now he is set to retire after the summer, according to Sean Ingle of the Guardian.

Rutherford came to worldwide prominence at the 2012 Olympics when he won Olympic gold, part of the British Super Saturday where Rutherford, Mo Farah and Jessica Ennis (now Ennis-Hill) all won gold medals in the span of 46 minutes.

Rutherford went on to win Commonwealth gold in 2014 and IAAF World Outdoor Championships gold in 2015. He also set a British record 27-11 (8.51m) in 2014 and won Olympic bronze in 2016.

One of Rutherford's strengths had been his ability to perform well in championship settings when the pressure was on. His competitors often had better personal bests, but he came away with three medals in global competition, performing when it counted.

Since Rio, however, Rutherford has struggled with injuries. He did not compete at last year's IAAF World Outdoor Championships and he missed both the IAAF World Indoor Championships and the Commonwealth Games earlier this year.

Rutherford had surgery on his left ankle last fall, but he still struggles with pain that prevents him from much of the sprint and jump training he has done in the past. He mostly trains on an exercise bike now. He has competed four times this year, twice indoors and twice outdoors. His season best it only 25-10.75 (7.89m).

The decision to retire came only in the last week, but Rutherford has been considering it for the past three months. He plans to continue competing this year with a goal of winning the European Championships in August. He also plans to compete at the London Anniversary Games and the Birmingham Diamond League meeting.

After Rutherford retires from the long jump, he plans to try track cycling. He has already had conversations with British Cycling and has been encouraged to try the sport. Rutherford has a background as a BMX and mountain biker.