BELOW-PAR GREG HAS WORLDS WAITING
GREG RUTHERFORD admits his chances of competing in this week’s World Indoor Championships hang by a thread. But he’ll wait for a transatlantic video verdict from his US-based coach, Dan Pfaff, before making a final call on his involvement in Birmingham next weekend. The former Olympic and world long jump champion finished fourth in yesterday’s Muller Indoor Grand Prix in Glasgow with a best jump of 7.89 metres. ‘It doesn’t look good at the moment,’ Rutherford said. ‘I am not there to make up the numbers — I am there to win medals. Jumping like that, I don’t feel like that’s good enough. ‘Jumping eight metres is my standard, it’s like my base. It doesn’t look good but I will have a chat with everybody and see what they think.’ The World Indoor title is one of the few medals to elude Rutherford, who had ankle surgery in the autumn, setting back his training. The 31-year-old said: ‘I don’t want to retire. I want to compete in as many majors as I possibly can — and I want to win medals.’ Dina Asher-Smith is skipping the World Indoors to prepare for the Commonwealth Games in April, but looked in brilliant form, clocking 7.09sec for second in the 60 metres behind double world silver medallist MarieJosee Ta Lou.