By Ros Satar
- Greg Rutherford backed up his World Athletics title with the IAAF Diamond League title
- Answers his critics about ‘flukey’ wins with series of responding jumps
- Round up of rest of British results
ZURICH, SWITZERLAND – Greg Rutherford once more answered critics by producing leading jumps ahead of America’s Marquis Dendy to win the Diamond League title to his list of accolades.
Rutherford, who has never backed away from speaking his mind, proved once more that he could deliver, having added the World Championship title to his Olympic, European and Commonwealth titles at the IAAF World Championships last week.
Rutherford jumped 8.27m to take the lead in the second round, before Dendy edged the lead with a 8.32m jump in round four. Rutherford matched that distance in the next round but was given the lead based on his second round jump being further, and held on to the lead to add the Diamond League title.
Speaking afterwards, Rutherford said: “It was very important to come out here and win again. I still managed to come out on top so I am absolutely over the moon. The other jumpers maybe said, ‘we will take him in Zurich’, but it did not work.
“The victory means a hell of a lot to me as it is the last crown for me. I am very pleased.”
On the women’s side, Shara Proctor produced some solid jumping of her own with a best of 6.58m to finish third behind the eventual winner Ivana Spanovic, 7.02m. Jazmin Sawyers placed fourth (6.55m) and Lorraine Ugen eighth with 6.31m.
Out on the track Lynsey Sharp made up for the disappointment of missing out on the Beijing 800m final with a second place finish behind Eunice Sum (1:59.37), and is in second place in the Diamond Race. Shelayna Oskan-Clarke was 11th in 2:05.91.
4x400m bronze medallist and 400 hurdles world finalist Eilidh Child came eighth (56.14s) and Holly Bradshaw came eighth in the women’s pole vault with 4.47m, but fouled three times at 4.57m.
Rabah Yousif, who was part of the men’s 4x400m bronze medal winning time came fifth in the 400m with 45.39s, with LaShawn Merritt winning ahead of Kirani James and world champion Wayde Van Niekerk. James picked up the Diamond Race crown.
Danny Talbot came eighth in the men’s 200m (20.70s) and Niall Flannery was also eighth in the 400m hurdles (51.26s). Charlie Grice finished 10th in the 1500m.
David Weir had to cope with a crash that hampered his chances in the 300m wheelchair race with just 300m to go, finishing in a time of 6:44.81.
The second of the two Diamond League finals is scheduled on 11 September in Brussels.
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