A medal in one type of Olympics is not enough....
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/20...ic-dream-alive
Greg Rutherford’s audacious dream of becoming the first British athlete to win a medal at a summer and winter Olympics has moved a significant step closer after he was selected for the GB bobsleigh squad that will attempt to qualify for Beijing 2022.
Rutherford received the news, which will be announced later this week, after excelling in a series of tests at British Bobsleigh and Skeleton Association headquarters in Bath and is now training hard for his first event in Ischgl in Austria in seven weeks’ time.
“There were a few doubters when I said I wanted to make the Winter Olympics in April but I always back and believe in myself and I am absolutely delighted to have been selected,” said Rutherford, who won long jump gold at London 2012 and bronze in Rio 2016 before retiring from athletics in 2018. “I am extremely confident we can qualify for Beijing and go on to achieve something very special.”
To make the squad, the 34-year-old went through a series of timed tests earlier this month which involved pushing a heavy sled using each of its four handles as fast as possible.
“I was a bit concerned beforehand having rolled my ankle while working at the Tokyo Olympics but on one of the handles I was the second quickest in our entire squad, and I was third on two others,” he explained. “That puts me on a sled and so it’s really exciting.”
What makes Rutherford’s story even more remarkable is that he only started to think seriously about competing at the Winter Olympics in February after speaking to double Olympic bobsleigh driver Lamin Deen, and GB bobsleigh coaches Steve Smith and John Herbert, who told him that his speed, power and weight would be a huge asset.
Rutherford has been put in Deen’s five-man team, alongside sub-10 sprinter and 2014 Winter Olympics bronze medallist Joel Fearon, Ben Simons and Toby Olubi. They will now attempt to qualify for Beijing in both the two and four-man events - with Rutherford earmarked for the four-man bob.
To make it to the Winter Olympics, GB sleds will have to come in the top 12 in three of the seven qualifying events that conclude with the European Championships in San Moritz in January. But Rutherford believes that should be a formality given Deen has already raced in two Olympics and - crucially - recently acquired a fast new sled to replace his 15-year-old model.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/20...ic-dream-alive
Greg Rutherford’s audacious dream of becoming the first British athlete to win a medal at a summer and winter Olympics has moved a significant step closer after he was selected for the GB bobsleigh squad that will attempt to qualify for Beijing 2022.
Rutherford received the news, which will be announced later this week, after excelling in a series of tests at British Bobsleigh and Skeleton Association headquarters in Bath and is now training hard for his first event in Ischgl in Austria in seven weeks’ time.
“There were a few doubters when I said I wanted to make the Winter Olympics in April but I always back and believe in myself and I am absolutely delighted to have been selected,” said Rutherford, who won long jump gold at London 2012 and bronze in Rio 2016 before retiring from athletics in 2018. “I am extremely confident we can qualify for Beijing and go on to achieve something very special.”
To make the squad, the 34-year-old went through a series of timed tests earlier this month which involved pushing a heavy sled using each of its four handles as fast as possible.
“I was a bit concerned beforehand having rolled my ankle while working at the Tokyo Olympics but on one of the handles I was the second quickest in our entire squad, and I was third on two others,” he explained. “That puts me on a sled and so it’s really exciting.”
What makes Rutherford’s story even more remarkable is that he only started to think seriously about competing at the Winter Olympics in February after speaking to double Olympic bobsleigh driver Lamin Deen, and GB bobsleigh coaches Steve Smith and John Herbert, who told him that his speed, power and weight would be a huge asset.
Rutherford has been put in Deen’s five-man team, alongside sub-10 sprinter and 2014 Winter Olympics bronze medallist Joel Fearon, Ben Simons and Toby Olubi. They will now attempt to qualify for Beijing in both the two and four-man events - with Rutherford earmarked for the four-man bob.
To make it to the Winter Olympics, GB sleds will have to come in the top 12 in three of the seven qualifying events that conclude with the European Championships in San Moritz in January. But Rutherford believes that should be a formality given Deen has already raced in two Olympics and - crucially - recently acquired a fast new sled to replace his 15-year-old model.
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