Greg Rutherford named in Great Britain squad for World Indoor Championships
Tuesday 20 February 2018 21:12, UK
Greg Rutherford will target the one global title he has yet to win after he was included in Britain's team for the World Indoor Championships in Birmingham.
Rutherford struggled with injuries last season but won the British title at Arena Birmingham on Saturday, his first competition since June following groin and ankle operations.
Although the former Olympic, world, European and Commonwealth champion did not achieve the long jump qualifying standard of 8.19m, as the host nation, Britain are permitted to enter one athlete in an event where there is not otherwise any representation.
Rutherford admitted he feared for his career after competing just three times last year and missing out on the chance to defend his world championship title in London but will now have the opportunity of further glory, with the meeting in Birmingham running from March 1-4.
Former Olympic bronze medallist Robbie Grabarz and Morgan Lake will contest the men's and women's high jump, also thanks to host nation places,
Grabarz missed the British Indoors due to injury and Lake failed to achieve the qualifying height.
Elliot Giles also gets a place in the 800m, but the IAAF turned down an application for a host nation slot for pole vaulter Adam Hague, who won the British title with a personal best of 5.65m at the weekend. The qualifying standard was 5.78m.
Meanwhile, double European indoor champion Laura Muir has been selected to compete in both the 1,500m and 3,000m in a 31-strong team.
Neil Black, performance director at British Athletics, said: "This year is an amazing year for our athletes on the international stage and we are looking forward to seeing how they perform across 2018.
"We are delighted that the IAAF World Indoor Championships are being held in Birmingham, where we have just successfully hosted our British Championships, and we are certain it will be a great event for those selected - the home crowd will certainly play its part.
"The IAAF World Indoor Championships are the first major event of an exciting year with Commonwealth Games and European Championships also on the horizon.
"We have selected a British team with a good mixture of experienced international competitors and talented, up-and-coming athletes keen to test themselves against the best in the world."
