AS FAR as good fortune and omens are concerned, Phillips Idowu seems particularly blessed. Dyeing his hair is not a new past-time for the flamboyant triple jumper but for the duration of these Games it has been red, a colour considered extremely lucky by the Chinese. He hadn't realised that when he consulted the hairdressing colour chart but once it was pointed out there was no changing it.
Then there is the number which will be stuck to his GB vest when he hurls himself with a hop, skip and jump into the sandpit at the Bird's Nest Stadium today. Idowu is 1809. It is the same number Kelly Holmes was given four years ago in Athens.
Ho
lmes was an athlete who overcame past disappointments to finally deliver on the biggest stage of all. At the same Olympic platform Idowu made only a bit-part appearance.
The failure in Athens, when he failed to even land a jump, was symptomatic of his years of under-achievement. In Sydney, four years earlier, he finished sixth behind the ever-reliable Jonathan Edwards.
A promising talent even back when Edwards was leading the charge for Great Britain, he flattered to deceive. When the pressure was off, he showed he had the talent but when the time came to put the mental jitters to one side and do it when the distances really counted, he has struggled to produce the big leaps of faith.
But this has been the 29-year-old's year. The psychological toughness has held steady and the technique has improved. A switch in coach, he has now joined up with former international athlete and head of the High Performance Centre in Birmingham, Aston Moore, and something about the partnership works.
It has not gone unnoticed that the raw talent has now been honed into more effortless and consistent technique and the days of all or nothing are apparently a thing of the past. This year, he has steadfastly been there or thereabouts, responding to various conditions and pressures and pulling off the big jumps.
"If you think back over the last few years, you were not sure which Phillips would turn up. Now there is no doubt," said Edwards this week. So often frustrated by the British jumper's inability to translate his training distances into something more tangible, he is more confident that the man who broke into the world top 10 away back in 2000 can cement a medal place.
"He looks in fantastic shape. He's a lot more athletic and agile and he's a lot more in control of his technique."
He won the world indoor title in Valencia in March and has not been beaten on the European circuit this summer. But the weight of expectation those performances have brought, have done little to undermine more recent displays.
"This is a man who is favourite for a gold medal in Beijing. That's a huge pressure on his shoulders," said Edwards. "I know all about that and it does weigh heavy but he has been lapping it up."
A former basketball player of decent repute, his school PE teacher spotted the potential in allying that bounce in his legs with the power he could generate in short bursts and his strong frame. He suggested the triple jump. It looks like it could finally prove an astute move. Coming into the Games he led the world rankings with the 17.58m he jumped at the Olympic Trials in Birmingham and he underlined his credentials when he qualified for the final here with ease, landing at 17.44m with his first jump. It was a fairly strong marker to set down for those hoping to challenge his dominance or those hoping he would again defeat himself. Observers believe there is still more for Idowu to give.
Today is the day he has to do that.
The full article contains 656 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
