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Greg RutherfordBritish track and field athlete (long jump and 100m dash)
Date of Birth: 17.11.1985
Country:  Great Britain |
Content:
Biography of Greg Rutherford
Gregory James 'Greg' Rutherford, known as Ginger Wizard, was born on November 17, 1986, in Milton Keynes, England. He grew up in Bletchley and attended Denbigh School. Rutherford is the great-grandson of footballer Jock Rutherford, who won the Football League First Division three times with Newcastle United and played for Arsenal. In his youth, Greg tried various sports, including football, rugby, and badminton. At the age of fourteen, he went through the qualifying competitions for Aston Villa Football Club before switching to a career in athletics.
Achievements
In 2005, at the age of eighteen, Rutherford became the youngest winner among long jumpers at the AAA Championships. He also won the European Junior Championships in the same year, setting a British junior record with a jump of 8.14 meters. Greg secured a spot in the 2006 Commonwealth Games representing his home country. On August 8, 2006, he won a silver medal in the long jump (8.14 meters) at the European Athletics Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden.
After winning the AAA Championships on July 12, 2008, Rutherford earned a place in the Beijing Olympics. Two weeks later, he won the London Grand Prix at Crystal Palace with a jump of 8.16 meters. During the qualifying round at the Berlin Athletics Championships on August 20, 2009, Rutherford set a British record of 8.30 meters, surpassing Chris Tomlinson's previous mark by 1 centimeter. However, in the final of that championship, Greg could not demonstrate the same high level and finished fifth with a jump of 8.17 meters. Due to a leg injury, Rutherford missed the 2010 European Championships.
At the 2010 Commonwealth Games, he won a silver medal with a jump of 8.22 meters. In the same year, he set his personal best in the 100-meter dash, running it in 10.26 seconds. Rutherford improved his long jump record to 8.32 meters at the Eugene Diamond League on June 4, 2011. However, it was not recognized as a new British record due to the excessive tailwind. In July 2011, Chris Tomlinson reclaimed the British long jump record in Paris when he jumped 8.35 meters. Following this, on May 3, 2012, Rutherford jumped precisely the same distance in Chula Vista, becoming a 'co-owner' of Tomlinson's record.
At the 2012 London Olympics, Rutherford truly delighted his country. The last time Britain won Olympic gold in the long jump was in 1964 when Lynn Davies jumped 8.07 meters. Nearly 50 years passed before Rutherford's homeland earned another Olympic gold in the same discipline. Rutherford jumped 8.31 meters in the final round of the competition. His second-best jump of 8.21 meters was enough to put him in the lead. After the coronation, the 25-year-old champion embraced his coaches and said, "I knew I was in great shape." He also added, "My team is incredible, and I have the most amazing parents and beautiful girlfriends in the world." Rutherford's sponsors include Nike, Maximuscle, Bullerwell & Co, and Bedford Rotary.
