Greg Rutherford backs calls to improve standard of British coaching
Greg Rutherford has backed the next generation of British athletes to deliver but echoed calls to improve standards for coaches.
The 2012 Olympic long jump champion is optimistic after the World Championships in London ended on Sunday.
Only Sir Mo Farah won individual medals, gold in the 10,000 metres and silver in the 5000m, as every relay team collected medals to boost the squad’s tally to six.
I don't think I've ever been emotional watching athletics. But MO's race got me. He is the greatest pic.twitter.com/Dqn7JoJB6i — Greg Rutherford (@GregJRutherford) August 12, 2017
GB’s men’s 4x100m relay squad became world champions but the hosts still only just reached their medal target.
Farah is retiring from the track while Jessica Ennis-Hill quit last year and Rutherford missed the championships with an ankle injury but believes the new breed can cope.
He said: “After Kelly Holmes retired and that era I think we thought ‘where are the medals going to come from?’ It was a big thing when we got the London Olympics and then all of a sudden we came through in London and we had a great time.
Greg Rutherford at London 2012
“We’re in a situation where that’s the same as it was before. We may have a couple of down years as the youngsters establish themselves but – especially in the sprints, where we’ve taken a lot of flak – we are incredibly lucky to have a lot of strength in depth.
“We have had a lot of people making finals and being on the cusp of it happening. I’m still excited about the youngsters coming through.”
But Rutherford agreed coaches need more support to help them bring through young athletes.
Fantastic end to a HUGE summer of athletics in London!!!
🇬🇧 take🥉in a SB of 2:59.00 to make it 6⃣ medals!!!#REPRESENT #London2017 pic.twitter.com/Hv0qY8UClg — British Athletics (@BritAthletics) August 13, 2017
Performance director Neil Black has said British Athletics is looking into plans to increase the number of elite level British coaches having appointed a high-performance coach development manager.
Black was responding to criticism from Toni Minichiello after Ennis-Hill’s former coach said there was nothing drawing people into the sport to coach and outgoing UK Athletics chairman Ed Warner’s legacy was “the destruction of coaching.”
GB performance at worlds: 4 thrilling relay medals. Only 1 individual medalist. Farah. He's retiring. £27m investment. I'd be concerned. — Michael Johnson (@MJGold) August 14, 2017
I couldn't agree more, we have been in similar medal count positions before and lacked the inclination to ask searching questions of NGB https://t.co/Xpp8XFftYv — Toni Minichiello (@Coach_Toni) August 14, 2017
Rutherford said: “It seriously needs to be looked into and Toni has been very outspoken about it.
“There needs to be more to ensure the young British coaches are in a position to have the ability to maintain and bring through good athletes.
“I travel to America for my coaching, Mo travels, we’ve had other great athletes in the past who have had to travel for coaching. We need to be attracting the top coaches to the UK again because the talent is here.”