Milton Keynes athletes inspired by Olympian Rutherford's success

D'mitri Varlack has already broken two of Olympian Greg Rutherford's club records

Two teenage athletes from Greg Rutherford's old club hope to follow in the footsteps of the Olympic champion.

Long jumper D'mitri Varlack and javelin thrower Ayesha Jones, both 16, train at Marshall Milton Keynes Athletics Club.

They say the success of long jumper Rutherford, who won Olympic gold in 2012, has helped motivate them.

"I would say Milton Keynes has produced their fair share of good athletes and I would quite like to be a part of them," said D'mitri.

"It gives me a goal to push to, because obviously someone that's lived in the same area as me has achieved big things like going to the Olympics and... it makes it more achievable and like a more reasonable goal."

D'mitri is the current UK U20 long jump champion and has beaten Rutherford's club records twice.

Ayesha Jones first got into athletics when she was seven years old and has ambitions to participate in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles

Ayesha first got into athletics when she was seven years old, and now has ambitions to take part in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

She said: "Becoming an Olympian is an obvious one, but also competing just for Team GB as a senior athlete... going to the Olympics and multi-sport event and getting to know other people within the sport... it would be nice to see them all."

The Commonwealth Youth Games champion said she had also been inspired by Rutherford's success.

Olympic champion Greg Rutherford won gold at the London 2012 Olympic Games, before winning a bronze medal at the games in Rio four years later

Carol Jackson, who coaches D'mitri at the club, said he showed "loads of potential".

She remembers Rutherford's success well.

"I was there on Super Saturday watching it... a great role model for him [D'mitri] to move forward with and I hope he will achieve what Greg achieved," she said.

Carol Jackson coaches D'mitri and was watching the London 2012 Olympics when Rutherford won his gold medal

Ms Jackson said as D'mitri and Ayesha had both come through the club together, they were able to motivate each other.

"For a club like Milton Keynes, it's a real bonus to have two major athletes," she said.