Making his competition debut in Stockholm, Great Britain\u2019s Rutherford \u2013 the Olympic, European and Commonwealth champion – revealed:<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m hoping the weather holds up for tomorrow \u2013 it\u2019s a good place to jump and I love competing in Sweden so it\u2019s going to be a good competition. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m looking to jump far, I\u2019m never one to shy away from competing against the best in the world, that\u2019s why I\u2019m doing the Diamond League circuit \u2013 I love jumping against these guys.\u201d<\/p>\n
The 28-year-old has a 2015 best of 8.35m and following wins in Birmingham and Oslo, Rutherford hopes to add the only major championship title which has eluded him \u2013 the world crown, in the IAAF World Championships in Beijing next month:
\u201cThe more experience you gain, you learn from the positives and the mistakes \u2013 my belief\u2019s very high so mentally, I feel strong and physically, my body\u2019s got better as the years have gone on,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou never want to put a limit on what you can do \u2013 with the perfect conditions, you can sometimes have the ability to do something incredible. <\/p>\n
\u201cI need to iron out some technical issues but I think I can jump further than I\u2019ve jumped \u2013 I\u2019d love to get over the 28-foot mark.\u201d
Having taken the 2006 European silver medal in Gothenburg, he has stayed friends with Sweden\u2019s Torneus ever since, and Rutherford explained that to further his career as he is reaching his peak, he has taken the unusual efforts to have a long jump runway and pit installed in his back garden: <\/p>\n
\u201cMy dad\u2019s a builder so I challenged him to help us build it and it gives me a stable base to not leave home as much, what with having my young son,\u201d divulged Rutherford.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s two lanes to sprint as well – I\u2019m super keen for these guys (his fellow competitors) to see it and see how it feels. It\u2019s going to be tested so it\u2019s fully legitimate \u2013 hopefully, it will be certified on the 12th of August, it\u2019s interesting to say the least.\u201d<\/p>\n
Local man Michel Torneus, meanwhile, is set to compete in only his second competition of the summer following injury.
The 29-year-old \u2013 who leapt a national record of 8.30m to win the European indoor crown in Prague back in March \u2013 explained:
\u201cI\u2019m happy to be here, it\u2019s been a tough summer for me with hamstring problems I couldn\u2019t get rid of – I\u2019m happy to be back competing and I hope to be fit for Beijing. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt (winning the European indoor title) was a big thing for me as I\u2019ve been competing for a long time \u2013 to stand on top of the podium, I was very happy and with my mark. <\/p>\n
\u201cI was super motivated after the indoors but I had to step back and try to train \u2013 I\u2019ve only been training at 70\/80% and off a shorter approach. <\/p>\n
\u201cI just need to find it I competition, I\u2019m getting there and I have time to work on it and do the best I can with the situation I have \u2013 I\u2019ll do 100% and see where I land.\u201d<\/p>\n
Torneus will next participate in the Swedish Championships before deciding on whether to travel to Beijing \u2013 if he does make it to China, he has stated that he intends to be in the mix for the medals.
A third long jumper, Andreas Otterling gave his views on his 2015b campaign and hopes for tomorrow.<\/p>\n
The Swede twice jumped 8.06m earlier this month to replicate the distance he leapt to win the European indoor bronze medal four months ago:<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a new experience for me, to be in the Diamond League \u2013 I hope to get 8.10m to qualify for the World\u2019s and it will be an awesome competition with Michel and I,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the place you want to be as an athlete, taking the opportunity to compete against the best.\u201d
On his recent best form at the age of 29, Otterling continued: <\/p>\n
\u201cI jumped triple jump until I was 25 and then I had many problems with my back so I didn\u2019t expect to be at this level but it\u2019s a nice surprise.\u201d
Meanwhile, world indoor 1500m champion, Ayanleh Souleiman spoke of his aspirations to achieve a fast time ahead of an attack on world glory next month.<\/p>\n
The 22-year-old Djibouti athlete \u2013 who scorched to a 1:42.97 800m national record two weeks ago in Monaco \u2013 revealed:
\u201cThe World Championships are more important but tomorrow it\u2019s different, I want a fast time \u2013 Kiprop (Asbel, Kenya\u2019s world champion and the current world-leader with 3:26.69) and some others have ran very fast this season so I want to 3:27\/2:28 tomorrow.\u201d
Explaining that he intends to pass the 400m mark in 54 seconds, 800m at 1:50 and cover the final 300m in 39\/40 seconds, Souleiman continued:<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s possible I\u2019ll double (by competing in both the 800m and 1500m) \u2013 there\u2019s a rest day between the two events so I want to do it. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been training with my group to replicate the tactics that we should expect \u2013 it will be crazy so you have to be prepared. I\u2019m always tired after racing as it\u2019s so physical.\u201d
The IAAF Diamond League winner over 800m in Doha and in the mile in Eugene recently, Souleiman\u2019s 3:30.17 season\u2019s best looks likely to be revised judging by his recent training and he offered his thoughts on preparing for two distances:<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s not a big difference between the 800m and 1500m for me,\u201d he said. \u201cI still do my speed-work and had a good training camp with Mo Farah (the double Olympic and world 5,000m and 10,000m champion from Great Britain) recently. The 1500m is tactical and the 800m is faster.\u201d
Local hope Andreas Almgren will contest the 800m four weeks on from his 1:45.59 national junior record and the 20-year-old is aiming for the 1:45.45 Swedish senior record tomorrow evening.
The world junior bronze medallist placed seventh in the 2014 event and revealed:<\/p>\n
\u201cIt feels very good to be here, I had a cold two weeks ago but now I\u2019m fit so I\u2019m hoping to run fast tomorrow. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think I have a real good chance to break the record tomorrow \u2013 it\u2019s a good field. I always go for the victory, the time will come eventually.\u201d<\/p>\n
Aiming to pass the 500m mark in under 51-seconds then 600m in 1:17, Almgren insisted he can handle physical races well and that he likes Stockholm\u2019s 1912 Olympic Stadium despite the fact it is the home to his football team\u2019s biggest rival. <\/p>\n
Shocking the media with his ability to recite the commentary from one of Denmark\u2019s Wilson Kipketer\u2019s 1997 world record race word for word, he continued:<\/p>\n
\u201cI hope to get to the semi-final in Beijing and hopefully run a quick race there – anything can happen in a major championships but I want to fight for my spot in the final. I\u2019ve had lots of experience, hopefully I\u2019ve learned something.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nicola Sutton for Stockholm Bauhaus Athletics<\/p>\n
Picture: From left Greg Rutherford, Michel Torn\u00e9us and Andreas Otterling. Photo: Deca Text&Bild<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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