Jade Johnson records personal best and Olympic qualifying distance at European Cup
By Tom Knight [daily telegraph]
Last Updated: 10:54pm BST 23/06/2008
If there was a single athlete whose return to form summed up the much-welcomed upturn in Britain’s fortunes at the European Cup in Annecy, it was Jade Johnson, the long jumper now revelling in her nickname of “the comeback kid”.
After almost two years in the athletics wilderness, Johnson leapt back into contention with a personal best and Olympic qualifying distance of 6.81metres. It was only good enough for second in the competition but worth so much more for her Olympic prospects.
After a series of injuries, Johnson, a European and Commonwealth silver medallist in 2002, was dumped from the sport’s Lottery-funded world class performance programme at the end of last year.