• Athletics World Championships

Worlds boosts for Rutherford & Ennis-Hill

Greg Rutherford will compete in Moscow © PA Photos

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Greg Rutherford has been added to Great Britain & Northern Ireland's squad for the forthcoming World Athletics Championships in Moscow.

Rutherford, the Olympic long jump champion, missed the recent London Anniversary Games due to a hamstring injury, but has recovered sufficiently to be included in the Team GB squad for next month's meeting in Russia.

"Greg has shown a remarkable level of recovery during a short space of time, something he has shown an aptitude for throughout his athletics career," British Athletics performance director Neil Black said. "Following the fitness tests and his record of being able to produce a quality performance off minimal build up, I am pleased to confirm his place in the GB & NI team.

"He'll continue to work closely with the support staff to maximise every additional moment in between now and the 14th of August."

Rutherford's selection is bad news for Chris Tomlinson, however, who is forced to miss out as a result. As neither jumper had met the qualifying 'A' standard of 8.25 metres, Black was only able to select one - opting for Rutherford's pedigree over Tomlinson's better recent record of fitness.

"I think on current form, on current shape, I'd be on the team," Tomlinson said at the weekend, after jumping 7.99m at the Olympic Stadium. "But obviously he's got that [Olympic title] and that has to be taken into account."

Jessica Ennis looked nervous at the London Anniversary Games © PA Photos

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Elsewhere there was interesting news for Jessica Ennis-Hill as her main rival for heptathlon gold in Moscow, Tatyana Chernova, was ruled out through injury.

Ennis-Hill is currently deciding on her own participation after struggling with Achilles issues in recent weeks, but Chernova's absence may give the Olympic champion greater reason to believe she can win the competition even if she is not 100 per cent.

"I need to step back and have a real think about the World Championships," Ennis-Hill said on Saturday. "I don't want to go and not be ready, not be competitive.

"I've got more to lose than to gain so I want to go there and be a contender."

Also on Tuesday, 400m runner Christine Ohuruogu was named as the captain of the GB & NI team.

"I am very proud to have been asked by Neil to be the team captain at the World Championships in Moscow," said Ohuruogu. "When he called me up the other week, I thought I was in trouble! I am not normally someone who likes the spotlight, but this is a lovely feeling to be trusted in this role, and it's nice for myself and my coach Lloyd [Cowan] for the hard work we have put in over the years."

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