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Idowu: Natural born jumper
"When you nail that big jump, everything seems so slow. You only get to experience that feeling a few times. You know when you nail a big one - it's hard to explain."
Phillips Idowu
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Phillips Idowu says he is a natural triple jumper, but still feels the event is one of the odder ones in the Olympic Games - despite him being favourite to land a gold medal with a hope skip and a jump.
The Hackney-born athlete is one of Team GB's major hopes for a track and field gold after consistently proving to be the best in the world in his event this year.
The 29-year-old fell apart in Athens four years ago when he failed to land a legal jump, but this time around he seems focused and ready for the big stage.
One of the most colourful athletes taking part in the Games, Idowu credits Jonathan Edwards for increasing the popularity of triple jumping with his Olympic gold and world record exploits.
Weird
"It's a bit weird that triple jump is an Olympic sport. It's one of the more unlikely events in the Games," Idowu said.
"Yet it's got such a high profile. It was Jonathan who really helped give it that profile.
"Before his era it wasn't as big an event, even though in the past we've had great triple jumpers in this country and elsewhere in the world.
"But Jonathan took it to another level which was good for me because it set a standard of what I need to achieve and where I need to go.
"When I first started doing it I found it fun. I used to play basketball and so had really good spatial awareness.
"In PE other kids couldn't get a hang on triple jumping, but it came naturally to me."
Flying feeling
Idowu gains great satisfaction from producing a long leap out into the sand, and his brash demeanour around the event is more down to his own performances than trying to intimidate opponents.
"When you nail that big jump, everything seems so slow," he said.
"You can't hear anything, you're just in the air and it feels like you're up there for ages.
"You only get to experience that feeling a few times. You know when you nail a big one - it's hard to explain.
"I put on a swagger after a big jump. That's not to psyche out other guys, that's just me because I feel good.
"It's not to intimidate other guys - my distances should do that for me."
Idowu still aims at Edwards' amazing 13-year world record of 18.29m but admits that his predecessor was a special athlete in his field.
"Jonathan was a strong guy. His body to weight ratio was very good," he said.
"He could clean a lot - more than I could and he was a lot lighter. That was an advantage for him.
"He had speed on the runway, although I'm probably quicker now. Technically he was better than I was or maybe still am."
Sweet treats
Idowu has had problems with his own weight ratio, mainly because of his liking for sweet treats from the bakery, but he has been slimming down in order to jump further in Beijing.
"I've had to work hard on my bodyweight, making sure I'm not carrying any excess fluids," he said.
"I'm weighing 86kgs and I should be 84kgs low in Beijing. Last year I was 90kgs but when I was working with by nutritionist I got it down to 87kgs for the world championships in Osaka.
"I eat less but still eat what I want. You might still see my walking down the street with a bag of donuts, but I'll only eat half the bag now!"
