- 21 Aug 08, 04:58 AM
Bird's Nest Stadium, Beijing
On Wednesday evening Beijing time, Phillips Idowu will walk out into the Bird's Nest stadium as hot favourite for triple jump gold.
It's an unfamiliar feeling for Phillips. After jumping to sixth in Sydney eight years ago as a fresh-faced 21-year-old, he's struggled to convert that talent into big medals.
This season, however, he's dominated from the World Indoors onwards, cementing his world number one ranking with a first round jump of 17.44m in qualifying on Monday.
Idowu has been almost scarily confident this summer, going as far as describing himself as "bullet-proof" last month.
But former Olympic triple jump champion Jonathan Edwards, says self-belief was never the problem for the the 29-year-old from Hackney.
"Phillips has always been very good at talking himself up, but he hasn't always backed it up," he says. "That's the harsh reality.
"He's hugely physically talented, but there's always been a question-mark over his mental capabilities.
"He's never won a global outdoors title. He's won a World Indoors, he's won a Commonwealths, but he's never performed at a Worlds, and only finished sixth at one Olympics.
"As he's come through with an expectation from the outside that he can win a medal, he hasn't done so, even at Osaka last year.
"The difference this year is that he's jumped consistently far all summer, and I've never seen him do that before.
"He's always had the confidence. What I look at is how he's performed - that's all that matters. And this season outdoors he's looked fantastic."
Edwards went to two Olympic Games as favourite for gold, in Atlanta the year after smashing the world record and then again in Sydney, as a 34-year-old veteran.
By his own admission he struggled to cope in 1996, to the extent that he could "barely put one foot in front of the other, let alone triple jump".
That year he ended up with silver, only becoming Olympic champion as an older, wiser and more philosophical athlete.
The absence of reigning Olympic champion Christian Olsson means Idowu is now under the same sort of pressure.
"I would sit here and say it's really hard being favourite - there's a fear of failure," says Edwards, who was Idowu's GB team-mate from 2000 to 2003.
"Phillips wouldn't do that - we're very different personalities. On the surface, he'll love being favourite, with the eyes of the world on him.
"In terms of his conscious thought processes, he really likes being the centre of attention. He's got red hair and piercings. This is a man saying - look at me, I'm the real deal.
"But it's got to have an effect, knowing that a silver medal will be seen as a failure, and Phillips has shown himself to be susceptible under pressure in the past."
Idowu looked untroubled in qualifying, but it was the same in Athens four years ago - and he followed that up with three no-jumps in the final.
"I've always said with Phillips that if he doesn't do it in the first two jumps then he's not going to do it," says Edwards.
"That's been true until this summer. At the European Cup he went poor first jump, okay second jump, great third jump. After a bad start at Crystal Palace, he produced big jumps in both round four and five.
"The Phillips Idowu of previous years wouldn't have done that. He would have kept on going downhill and downhill.
"I would still be nervous if we got to round three of the final here and Phillips had only jumped 17.20 and the lead was 17.60.
"I still believe that if he's going to jump really big, he'll do it in the first few rounds. That's the kind of athlete he is.
"We shouldn't be surprised if he doesn't win it, because he's never won a major title outdoors. It would be a huge disappointment, but it wouldn't be the massive shock it was when I lost in Atlanta.
"But the way he's looked this summer, with the technical consistency, I wouldn't be in the last bit surprised if he opened up with 17.80m."
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Comments
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Let's hope he's been talking to the cycling team and particularly their psychologist - they've been easily the best part of the GB Olympic team at delivering from a position as favourite.
Good luck Philips. Need the gold if we're going to reach 20 or more overall.
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Factually incorrect. Edwards was 2nd in 1996, not 3rd. Please do your homework.
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Good work Dazzling, try reading before criticising;
"That year he ended up with silver"
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ali, they changed it after i posted comment.
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A gold for Idowu would put Britain 5th in the Athletics medal table.
On behalf of Team GB - go for it Phillips!!!
I'd love to silence the critics of British Athletics and a Top 5 finish with Jamaica, USA, Russia and Kenya would be a great way to do that.
Tim
Athletics fan and Level 2 Coach
Cardiff AAC
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thanks for the ringing endorsement Jonathon. Good thing you're not Philipps' psychologist.
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I agree with most of Edwards comments but feel that Idowu is still lacking in the temperament required to get the Olympic Gold. I think he will give us the performance to match his looks - that of a clown.
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I think edwards is spot on with idowu. He needs to jump big in the 1st 2 rounds. Then the pressure is off.
The competition looks weak this year, so 17.50-17.60 could win. Unthinkable at other games.
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Phillips will do it, I'm sure.
He and Christine will be the British stars of this Olympics.
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Good luck, Phillips. Ignore the armchair triple jumpers already writing your obituary. Classic British negativity. Let's get behind our athletes, for crying out loud!
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I alwasy think Edwards does himself a disservice about 1996. The Yank jumped over 18m, something Edwards only did a few times and something no one else has ever done. And I always remember Edwards 6th round jump when he jumped out of the pit and was ruled a red flag by about a centimetre. I was close to his world record.
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This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
I don't think Edwards likes Idowu at all. I heard him being interviewed and he hinted that Idowu had been in his face during competitions in the past. And all that bling isn't really Jonathan's thing either. He should be more forgiving though - different strokes and all that
Bring home No. 18 Phillips!
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I've seen Phillips interviewed in the past and he has always made a point of saying he takes in what Jonathan says because he has to learn from him if he is going to become champion. Maybe it's just Jonathans way really... Hey just thought I'd add my two pence
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Whoah...
I am a big fan of your achievements Jonathan, but seriously, lets hope he doesn't read this pre competition!!
You may as well tell him he is jumping into quicksand too!!
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Why oh why does an athletic medal wipe away the other sports achievements.
Good job the cyclists, rowers, sailors swimmers
etc are capable of just getting on with it and without the limelight.
Of course, best wishes to Phillips but all medallist are equal. We are in danger of all sounding like Michael Johnson (nice though he is)
Christine did well but there is that dark cloud she doesn't want to talk about.
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Looks like put up or shut up time for Idowu.
He is down to third after two rounds.
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Anyone notice Idowu has the same bib number as Kelly Holmes did in Athens? Go for Gold Phillips! 1809 rules!!
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Choker.
If you go into the tournament as World No.1, win every meet you go to, you expect gold.
If he was a true champ, he should of responded.
So what does that say?
It says even Philips at his best, isnt good enough.
Will always live in Jonathan Edwards shadow, unless he wins in London 2012 and breaks the WR.
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Go Nelson Evora!!!
Even as a Brit I was cheering Evora! He had the ability, presence and above all the attitude for gold. Philips' constant posturing and over-confidence cost him the top spot.
Portugal deserve this medal. They are a nation plagued by under-funding and a lack of top level development. I am proud of their achievement.
Finally, please BBC, please update your medal table to be accurate. Portugal have won a gold and silver, not just the gold that you show. Although coverage on TV and Radio has been second to none, I was disappointed that no-one on the team even acknowledged Evora as a contender. Please ensure that in future your athletics team don't go the same way as the football lot and assume we have a God-given right to gold in certain events.
Thanks.
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Well done Idowu. Just 5cm short. Jonathon Edwards fell just short at Atlanta - who knows you may be back at the next Olympics Edwards style.
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