Greg Rutherford in the long jump at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Birmingham (© Getty Images)
Britain’s Olympic long jump champion Greg Rutherford will compete on home soil at the Sainsbury’s Glasgow Grand Prix on July 11-12, the first of two IAAF Diamond League meetings in Britain this summer, organisers announced on Wednesday (9).
Rutherford famously leapt to gold on what was dubbed Super Saturday, when British athletes won three gold medals in barely 40 minutes two summers ago.
He is excited to be returning to compete in front of a home crowd after injury ruled him out from competing at the Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games in London last August.
"What a treat it’ll be to step out into Hampden Park, and again compete in front of a home crowd," said Rutherford. "We know from London what I can do with the crowd behind me and I can't wait to get that opportunity at the Sainsbury’s Glasgow Grand Prix.”
Rutherford is currently training in the USA, at the Olympic Training Centre in San Diego, and has announced that he plans to make his 2014 outdoor debut at the Mt SAC Relays in Walnut, California, in two weeks’ time.
Voyage of rediscovery
The 27-year-old is out to rediscover his form of 2012 after injury ruined his 2013 season and will also go for gold at the European Championships in August.
"I am super excited to start competing and hopefully have a season a bit like 2012 and put to rest the demons of 2013,'' he added.
"I am looking to jump further than I have ever jumped, that's always my aim every year,'' said Rutherford, who is the joint British record-holder at 8.35m with Chris Tomlinson.
"But I'm going to be smart with how I compete, I'm not going to compete too much. Last year, when I ended up rupturing my hamstring, I started competing a bit tired."
He had one indoor competition this winter, jumping 8.00m for second place at the IAAF Indoor Permit meeting in Birmingham in February.
Organisers for the IAAF
2014 IAAF Diamond League calendar
Doha, QAT – 9 May
Shanghai, CHN – 18 May
Eugene, USA – 31 May
Rome, ITA – 5 Jun
Oslo, NOR – 11 Jun
New York, USA – 14 Jun
Lausanne, SUI – 3 Jul
Paris, FRA – 5 Jul
Glasgow, GBR – 11-12 Jul
Monaco, MON – 18 Jul
Stockholm, SWE – 21 Aug
Birmingham, GBR – 24 Aug
Zurich, SUI – 28 Aug
Brussels, BEL – 5 Sep
