Greg Rutherford completed an historic Athletics Grand Slam on Tuesday, winning the Men's Long Jump Final, with a victorious leap of 8.41, in the Birds Nest in Beijing, China, ahead of Australian Fabrice Lapierre and China's Jianan Wang.

Brit, Rutherford, now holds the European, Commonwealth, Olympic and World Long Jump titles, after another top-class performance on the biggest stage.

His victory sees Rutherford join the elite athletics club of Linford Christie, Sally Gunnell, Jonathan Edwards and Daley Thompson, as the one of only five Brits to hold all major titles, simultaneously.

Rutherford qualified second going into Tuesday's final, with 8.25m behind American Jeff Henderson's 8.36m, who was expected to walk away from the Championships, with first his first major crown

Rutherford led and never looked back

After the US athlete recorded a huge foul jump - which would have passed 8.50m, Henderson played safe on the board of a fast, problematic, track, with a second round attempt of 7.95m. 

Rutherford too, had fouled his first attempt, but just like in London 2012, his second jump set the pace, reaching 8.29m and laid the benchmark for the final.

The Birds Nest was again a cacophony of noise, particularly with three Chinese athletes in competition. Xinglong Gao was the leading home jumper with 8.14m, before Wang overtook his compatriot with 8.18m.

Henderson shock early exit

Henderson meanwhile was struggling to make the eight that would jump thrice again. Lying in sixth, the American needed to better eight metres, but again again misjudged. He was still eight with one two jumpers in round three to go, but it was another Chinese athlete, Jinzhe Li, that jumped over the eight metre mark, eliminating a stunned Henderson.

With the favourite out, Greg Rutherford was set, an after a foul himself in round three, jumped 8.41 (ten centremetres short of his career best) with his fourth attempt, to solidify his lead. A lead, that never looked truly threatened.

His fourth round jump, was ten centimetres more than his winning distance at the London Olympics and his furthest in major final.

Rutherford performs on big stage once more

Rutherford, 28, who was stark in his criticism for UK Athletics' kit choice for the these championships - because of the absence of a Union Jack - remains a wholly unfunded athlete, but after yet another big performance when it matters, can surely be heralded as one of the greatest competitors around.