Grabarz targets podium after joining elite few in showpiece
While one by one Britain’s World Championship medal prospects continue to slip away, Robbie Grabarz yesterday suggested he may be the man to end the drought.
Grabarz was one of only six men to clear the qualifying standard of 2.31metres to reach the high jump final and made no attempt to hide his expectations afterwards.
“A medal,” he replied, when asked what he would be happy with. “That’s what I’m here for and anything else – I will be gutted.”
With the likes of Jessica Ennishill, Mo Farah, Greg Rutherford and Christine Ohuruogu all either gone or reaching the end of their careers, Grabarz is one of the few British athletes remaining to have won an individual Olympic medal. It was five years ago that he cleared 2.29m to share bronze at the London 2012 Games, just weeks after winning the European title.
He has since reached the podium at World Indoor, European and European Indoor Championships but, as he was quick to point out yesterday, he has never won a world medal at the main outdoor championships. He will have the chance to rectify that tomorrow after firmly establishing himself as one of the leading contenders in qualifying.
Having failed just once on his way to clearing 2.29m, he then managed to jump 2.31m at the final attempt to equal his season’s best and put him in an elite group.
“It turns out I didn’t need 2.31m to qualify, but I just wanted to get it,” said the 29-year-old.
“I’m never going to have this opportunity to jump at a championship in this stadium again. I’m getting old now and these things aren’t going to keep coming around for ever, so I’ve got to make the most of it now.”