Olympic champion Greg Rutherford has broken his silence in an emotional update following the death of his dog, Gus. The Dancing on Ice star lost his beloved pet last week and said that he was “utterly heartbroken.”
Taking to Instagram, Greg posted a statement on his Instagram story following days of silence. He shared: “Thank you so much for the kind messages about Gus. It’s hit me really hard and I’ve been so deflated since it happened, but I’m going to try and cheer up.
“He’s missed so much as he was such a wonderful dog and the hole he’s left in the house confirms we’ll get another Northern Inuit in the future,” followed with a love heart emoji.
Greg shared that he has experienced a “tough week” following the loss of his pet dog. He confirmed the news on Instagram with a collection of pictures of Gus, penning that he felt “numb” after his passing.
He said: “I am utterly heartbroken. We’ve had a really tough week as a family finding out Gus had cancer. He sadly passed away last night and I just feel numb.
“Between the tears and pain of missing him so much, I’m longing to see his silly face or feel him rest his head on my feet or lap. Gus has been such an important part of our lives. For me he’s been my training partner and best mate.
“Every steps session, every run, every bike ride and walk. He was always with me. I’d talk out my plans to him like he understood and be greeted by a happy paw or lick and was always happy. They’re never just pets, they’re everything good.”
Greg previously lost his old Labrador, Murphy, last summer. He shared an emotional post on Instagram confirming that his dog has died after 16 years and that he “missed him dearly.”
The tragic news comes just a few weeks after Greg was rushed to hospital before he competed in the Dancing on Ice final. The 37-year old missed the ice-skating competition and was forced to pull out after experiencing a grim injury.
In a social media post on Instagram, Greg spoke to his 190,000 fans and said that loads of people have been asking him exactly what’s happened.
He explained that he had given himself a “C-section” after he leapt through the legs of pro skaters Brendyn Hatfield and Colin Grafton. As a result, he underwent an operation and was forced to exit the competition early.
