World No.1 improves national record to 8.26m with great opener to 2016

Greg Rutherford fired a warning to his rivals when he jumped a British indoor record of 8.26m in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Friday night.

The Olympic, world, European and Commonwealth champion improved Chris Tomlinson’s mark of 8.18m, which was set in Stuttgart in February 2008.

Rutherford opened the competition with 7.96m before jumping the record distance in the second round. He fouled his third round effort and then bowed up before tweeting to his fans back in Britain many of whom will have been asleep due to the time difference “SMASH! SMASH BOOM!”

Rutherford, who will defend his Olympic title in Rio this summer, also improved his own indoor best of 8.17m, which was set in Birmingham last year.

On a busy day of athletics, Aries Merritt clocked 7.77 for 60m hurdles just five months after a kidney operation.

There was more good news for British athletics, too, when Tom Farrell clocked 7:42.47 for 3000m in Portland to go No.3 on the UK indoor all-time rankings behind Mo Farah and John Mayock.

Farrell finished third in a race won by Matt Centrowitz of the US in 7:40.74.

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