Greg Rutherford will bid to become only the third man to successfully defend his long jump title at the European Athletics Championships.
Great Britain star Rutherford has confirmed he will be in Amsterdam next month and on the form he is in, he will take some stopping.
Rutherford, 29, is now unbeaten in nine competitions and glory in the Netherlands will see him join Germany’s Wilhelm Leichum (1934, 1938) and the Soviet Union’s Igor Ter-Ovanesyan (1958, 1962) as the men who have won gold in successive Europeans.
The 2015 European Athlete of the Year will also defend his Olympic title in Rio in August and cannot wait to be competing in Amsterdam.
Speaking to European Athletics, Rutherford said: 'It is five weeks before (Rio) and it is on the first two days, back to back. I said to people close to me that if they can do it on the first couple of days and can do it back to back, I will 100 per cent do it:
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As the holder of four major outdoor titles at the same time - he is also the world and Commonwealth champion - Rutherford is jumping as well as ever.
The European Athletics Championships open on 6 July and on Thursday night at the Diamond League in Rome he extended his season’s best to 8.31m with victory over America’s Marquise Goodwin (8.19m) and Australian Fabrice Lapierre (8.18m).
Thanks for all the support yesterday. 8.31 isn't a bad result but I always want more. Great to get another win with such a good field
— Greg Rutherford (@GregJRutherford) June 3, 2016
Since winning in Stockholm on 30 July last year, Rutherford has remained unbeaten, a run which included his world championship triumph in Beijing.
Now with a year’s best of 8.31m - a significant figure in his life because it was that distance which brought Olympic gold in London 2012 - Rutherford will count down to Amsterdam as favourite to retain a title he won in Zurich with a fourth round 8.29m.
He will be one of the big international names at these European Athletics Championships and as he added when he looked forward to what is ahead, he told the Press Association: 'I've started pretty well and I generally raise my game at the high level.'
Achieve it in the Netherlands and he will join a select group of long jump champions.
RUTHERFORD’S WIN STREAK
2015
30.07 - Stockholm 8.34m
25.08 - Beijing 8.41m (IAAF World Championships)
03.09 - Zurich 8.32m
2016
05.02 - Albuquerque 8.26m iA
16.04 - Long Beach 8.30m
23.04 - La Jolla 8.01m
14.05 - Phoenix 8.36m (2.8); 8.24m (0.9)
20.05 - Manchester 8.20m
02.06 - Rome 8.31m