Legend Lewis rips 'pathetic' performances

Four-time Olympic long jump champion Carl Lewis believes the standard of competition in his signature event is at an all-time low, describing the best performances of reigning world champion Greg Rutherford as "pathetic".

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the United States Olympic team media summit on Tuesday, Lewis gave a withering assessment of the state of modern athletics, describing it as a "dying sport".

But Lewis, 54, saved his most stinging criticism for the event he made his own between 1984 and 1996, when he won four consecutive Olympic long jump gold medals, part of an overall tally of nine gold.