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Greg Rutherford qualifies for place in Great Britain bobsleigh team

London 2012 Olympic long jump champion Greg Rutherford has been selected for the Great Britain bobsleigh squad as they aim to qualify for the 2022 Winter Games.

Rutherford will attempt to become the first British athlete to win a medal at both the summer and winter Olympics should the team make it to Beijing.

The 34-year-old added bronze from the 2016 Games to the long jump gold he claimed on a memorable ‘Super Saturday’ in London.

Rutherford, who retired from athletics in 2018, is set to compete as part of the four-man bobsleigh team, with qualification determined across seven events.

“A few weeks ago we had our trials and I managed to qualify for the British team to compete this winter,” Rutherford wrote on Instagram.

“The team now has to qualify for the Olympic Games by placing well on the World Cup circuit (as does every team).

“This has been a huge undertaking, going from a very retired former athlete to retraining in a new sport and qualifying for the team.

“A massive thank you to everyone who’s helped thus far.”

Rutherford, whose team continue to look for more financial backing on their self-funded Olympic journey, added: “We start competing in a couple of months’ time with the medal dream very much alive.”