Greg Rutherford to compete in European Indoors after U-turn
Last updated on .From the section Athletics
Olympic long jump gold medallist Greg Rutherford has reversed his decision to miss the European Indoor Championships and will now compete for Great Britain.
Rutherford, 28, set an indoor personal best of 8.17m in Birmingham last week and has been named in a 39-strong squad to compete in Prague from 5 March.
The team also includes heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson, 22, and 800m runner Jenny Meadows, 33.
All three will be favourites for gold in their respective events.
"There have been some fantastic performances during this indoor season, notably at the Sainsbury's Indoor British Championships and the Indoor Grand Prix last weekend," said Neil Black, performance director of British Athletics.
"I'm really encouraged by what I've seen so far and we head to the Czech Republic in great shape."
Rutherford's jump at the Grand Prix in Birmingham was one centimetre behind Chris Tomlinson's British indoor record.
Johnson-Thompson broke both the British high jump and long jump records in February and is the world's highest-ranked female multi-disciplinary athlete. She will compete in the pentathlon at the championships.
In-form Meadows is the current European number one at 800m and, having just secured a seventh British title, is aiming for the top step of the podium in Prague.
She was denied that privilege at 2011's European Indoors by Russia's Yevgeniya Zinurova, but later handed the title when the Russian athlete was banned for doping.
GB & Northern Ireland team
MEN
60m: Richard Kilty, Sean Safo-Antwi, Chijindu Ujah
400m: Jarryd Dunn
800m: James Bowness, Guy Learmonth, Mukhtar Mohammed
1500m: Charlie Grice, Chris O'Hare
3000m: Lee Emanuel, Philip Hurst, Tom Lancashire
4x400m: Jamie Bowie, Jarryd Dunn, Rory Evans, Conrad Williams, Rabah Yousif
60mhurdles: Lawrence Clarke, David Omoregie
High jump: Allan Smith
Long jump: Greg Rutherford
WOMEN
60m: Dina Asher-Smith, Rachel Johncock
400m: Seren Bundy-Davies, Laura Maddox, Kirsten McAslan
800m: Jenny Meadows, Shelayna Oskan-Clarke
1500m: Rosie Clarke
3000m: Kate Avery, Emelia Gorecka, Laura Muir
4x400m: Amy Allcock, Seren Bundy-Davies, Laura Maddox, Kelly Massey, Kirsten McAslan, Shelayna Oskan-Clarke
60mhurdles: Lucy Hatton, Serita Solomon
High jump: Isobel Pooley
Long jump: Abigail Irozuru
Pentathlon: Katarina Johnson-Thompson, Morgan Lake
