Retired Olympic champion Jonathan Edwards – who holds the current world record for triple jump – cut the ribbon on a school’s new sports hall.

The gold medallist officially opened the sports centre at North Bridge House Senior School, in Rosslyn Hill, Hampstead, last Thursday.

He was introduced by the newly appointed head boy and girl before telling a crowd of parents and pupils that he had been “bad at sport” in his own school days and didn’t hold his school’s record for triple jump.

The secondary school’s new sports hall will be used for drama performances, assemblies and award ceremonies as well as physical education.

Headteacher Georgina Masefield said: “It gives me great pleasure to have Jonathan Edwards declare the sports hall officially open and to have such a valuable and stunning new resource to encourage our students’ burgeoning sporting talent.”