Phillips Idowu

{{Infobox sportsperson

| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|MBE}}

| image = 20090818 Phillips Idowu (cropped).jpg

| image_size = 225px

| caption = Phillips Idowu at the 2009 World Championships.

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1978|12|30}}

| birth_place = London, England{{cite web |url=http://www.olympedia.org/athletes/86925 |access-date=28 September 2023 |title=Olympedia – Phillips Idowu }}

| height = 1.97 m

| weight = 87 kg

| country = {{GBR2}}

| sport = Athletics

| event = Triple jump

| coach =

| highestranking =

| pb =

| medaltemplates =

{{Medal|Country| {{GBR2}}}}

{{Medal|Country| {{ENG}} }}

|updated= 15 August 2012

}}

Phillips Olaosebikan Idowu, {{post-nominals|country=GBR|MBE}} (born 30 December 1978) is a British athlete who specialised in the triple jump and was active at elite level between 2000 and 2014. He is a former World Outdoor and Indoor, European Outdoor and Indoor, and Commonwealth triple jump champion. He was also a silver medalist at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Idowu is a member of the London-based Belgrave Harriers athletics club and has been for much of his career.

Despite his successes, Idowu has been at times accused of inconsistency and of failing to fulfil his potential,{{cite news |first=Rick |last=Broadbent |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/more_sport/athletics/article3182236.ece |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081202101033/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/more_sport/athletics/article3182236.ece |url-status=dead |archive-date=2 December 2008 |title=Plenty of green shoots but few hints of blossoming superstars |work=The Times |date=14 January 2008 |access-date=22 November 2009 |location=London}} including his disappointing failure at the London Olympics 2012.{{cite news |title=Independent |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/olympics/athletics/gold-medal-hope-phillips-idowu-fails-to-qualify-for--mens-triple-jump-final-8014914.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220526/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/olympics/athletics/gold-medal-hope-phillips-idowu-fails-to-qualify-for--mens-triple-jump-final-8014914.html |archive-date=26 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |access-date=7 August 2012 |location=London |first=Jerome |last=Taylor |date=7 August 2012}} His championship record since 2008, especially his gold medal at the 2009 World Athletics Championships, addressed some of these criticisms; the Olympic Games is the only major championship to have eluded him, with a silver medal in 2008.{{cite Sports-Reference}}

Career

Idowu grew up in Hackney,{{Cite web |url=http://www.standard.co.uk/olympics/olympic-news/phillips-idowu-hackney-made-me-who-i-am-and-i-hope-to-inspire-people-here-with-olympic-gold-7745952.html |title=Phillips Idowu: 'Hackney made me who I am and I hope to inspire people |date=14 May 2012 |website=Evening Standard |access-date=31 January 2020}} and was a talented sportsman at school in both basketball and American football, yet he was most successful as a junior in athletics. In 1997 he came to attention as a triple jumper when he won the English Schools Championships and the under-20s AAA title, rounding off the year by coming fourth in the European Junior Championships.{{cite web |url=http://www.olympics.org.uk/athletebio.aspx?at=1746 |title=British Olympic Association > Athletes > Phillips Idowu |publisher=Olympics.org.uk |date=30 December 1978 |access-date=31 August 2009}}

Idowu's success continued in 2000, when he was ranked in the top 10 triple jumpers in the world and placed sixth in the 2000 Olympic Games. In 2001 he won the European Cup, though later that year his form was found wanting at the World Championships in Edmonton. His first major international medal came when he won silver at the 2002 Commonwealth Games, setting a new personal best of 17.68 metres but losing to world record holder and compatriot Jonathan Edwards. Later in 2002 he placed 5th in the European Championships.{{World Athletics||name=Phillips Idowu}}

In 2012, Idowu defeated world champion Christian Taylor at a Diamond League meeting in Shanghai.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/18077026 |title=Idowu |work=BBC Sport |access-date=21 May 2012}}

=Injury=

A knee injury that required surgery ruled Idowu out of the whole 2003 season. His aim was to return to form in 2004 to compete at the Olympic Games in Athens.{{cite news |last=Holt |first=Sarah |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/athletics/4602969.stm |title=BBC SPORT | Athletics | Idowu eyes gold |work=BBC News |date=6 June 2005 |access-date=31 August 2009}}

=Championship success=

In March 2006, Idowu triumphed at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, winning gold. However, he failed to maintain this form and once again finished in 5th place at the European Championships later that year.

In 2007, in the absence of world leader Christian Olsson, Idowu beat compatriot Nathan Douglas to gold in the European Indoor Championships in Birmingham. He recorded a championship record jump of 17.56 m, beating Olsson's world-leading jump by 12 cm.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/athletics/6413583.stm |title=Idowu takes gold in triple jump |work=BBC Sport |date=3 March 2007}} Idowu went on to win the IAAF Golden League Bislett Games in June 2007 with a distance of 17.35 m. By July 2007 he was ranked the number three triple jumper in the world, a new career high.

On 9 March 2008, Idowu won his first world title, taking the gold medal at the 2008 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Valencia, Spain. His jump of 17.75 m also broke the British and Commonwealth Indoor record previously held by his compatriot and former adversary Jonathan Edwards, who presented him with his medal at the ceremony. Despite his successes at the Indoor Championships and Commonwealth Games, Idowu decided to change coach, switching from John Herbert to 1982 Commonwealth Games medalist Aston Moore. Reflecting on his choice, Idowu stated: "now is the right time to make a change as I develop and move forward".{{cite news |url=http://www.exacteditions.com/exact/browse/431/484/3739/3/7 |title=Idowu and Herbert Part Ways |work=Athletics Weekly |date=24 April 2008 |access-date=28 January 2009}}

File:Phillips Idowu Berlin 2009.JPG

Idowu won the men's triple jump title at the 2008 British Olympic Trials with a distance of 17.58 m, at the time the longest outdoor jump of 2008. He followed this up with further jumps of 17.57 m and 17.27 m.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics/athletics/7504337.stm |title=Idowu takes title with world's best |work=BBC Sport |date=13 July 2008}}{{cite news |first=Michael |last=Phillips |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2008/jul/14/olympicgames2008.athletics |title=Idowu targets world record after taking giant stride to glory |publisher=Guardian online |date=14 July 2008 |location=London}}

Idowu took silver in the men's triple jump at the 2008 Beijing Olympics behind World Champion Nelson Évora after arriving at the games as the favourite. His best jump was 17.62 m, achieved in the third round. In an interview with Reuters, Idowu expressed disappointment at having won only silver, though he displayed good humour and also looked forward to the next Olympics in London.{{cite news |url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/telecomm/idUKSYD18838420080822?pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=0 |title='There ain't no better athlete than me.' | Olympics |publisher=Uk.reuters.com |date=22 August 2008 |access-date=31 August 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080902071416/http://uk.reuters.com/article/telecomm/idUKSYD18838420080822?pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=0 |archive-date=2 September 2008}}

Idowu missed the start of the 2009 athletics season due to a knee injury.{{Cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/athletics/8077866.stm |title=Idowu starts season with victory |date=1 June 2009 |access-date=31 January 2020 |via=news.bbc.co.uk}}

On Tuesday 18 August 2009 he won the World Championships in Berlin with the longest jump of anyone so far this year and an outdoors personal best distance of 17.73 m, again having his medal presented by Jonathan Edwards.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/athletics/8206569.stm |title=Idowu wins Britain's second gold |date=18 August 2009 |work=BBC Sport |access-date=18 August 2009}}

In July 2010 he broke his triple jump personal best jumping 17.81 metres at the Barcelona European Athletics Championships to win gold.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/athletics/8868881.stm |title=Phillips Idowu wins European Athletics triple jump gold |date=29 July 2010 |work=BBC Sport |access-date=8 September 2010}}

Idowu was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2011 Queen's Birthday Honours "for services to athletics".{{London Gazette |issue=59808 |date=11 June 2011 |page=17 |supp=y}}{{cite news |title=2011 Queen's Birthday Honours List |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/11_06_11honours_mainlist.pdf |publisher=BBC |access-date=11 June 2011}}

=2012 Summer Olympics=

Idowu was battling for fitness coming into the 2012 Summer Olympics in his native London, and had not jumped competitively for nearly three months. Idowu struggled and could not make it past the qualifying round of the triple jump, ending his hopes of a medal.{{cite web |title=ESPN |url=http://www.espn.co.uk/london-olympics-2012/sport/story/164053.html |access-date=7 August 2012}}{{cite news |title=BBC |work=BBC Sport |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/18902926 |access-date=7 August 2012}}

=2013–14=

After receiving leg surgery in autumn 2012, Idowu continued to struggle with fitness and form during 2013. In July 2013 he announced that he was "taking a step back" from the sport "for the foreseeable future", a step that some interpreted as tantamount to retirement.[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/athletics/10174902/Triple-jumper-Phillips-Idowus-break-will-be-permanent-claims-former-world-champion-Jonathan-Edwards.html Triple jumper Phillips Idowu's break will be permanent, claims former world champion Jonathan Edwards], The Telegraph, 11 July 2013 However, Idowu returned to top-level international competition at the Shanghai Diamond League meeting in May 2014, after a spell of training and competition in Australia.{{Cite web |url=https://www.worldathletics.org/news/preview/shanghai-2014-iaaf-diamond-league-preview |title=Nine reigning world champions look to shine in Shanghai – 2014 IAAF Diamond League| News |website=www.worldathletics.org |access-date=31 January 2020}}

Aged 36 in 2014, Idowu has not competed internationally since that season.

Personal life

Idowu was educated at Brunel University London, where he studied sports sciences.{{cite web |url=https://www.brunel.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/articles/Brunel-athletes-head-for-Melbourne# |title=Brunel athletes head for Melbourne |author= |date=3 February 2006 |website=Brunel University London |access-date=23 January 2019}}

Idowu is known to the public for his eccentric personality, sporting a variety of hair colours, an array of facial piercings and trademark booming laugh. Other than triple jump, Idowu also enjoys basketball.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2008/jun/24/olympicgames2008.athletics |title='I took control and now I feel unbeatable' |work=The Guardian |date=24 June 2008 |access-date=31 August 2009 |location=London |first=Donald |last=McRae}} He has a daughter, D'Karma (born 2007), and a son, Prince (born 2010).Donald Mcrae Interviews Phillips Idowu" Both his parents are Nigerian.{{cite web |url=http://www.olympics30.com/30british-hopefuls/PhillipsIdowu.asp |title=Phillips Idowu - Olympics30.com |website=www.olympics30.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120213214647/http://www.olympics30.com/30british-hopefuls/PhillipsIdowu.asp |archive-date=2012-02-13}}

In 2013, Idowu joined Jack Dee, Dara Ó Briain, Greg James, Melanie C and Chelsee Healey in Through Hell and High Water, a Comic Relief challenge which involved British celebrities canoeing the most difficult rapids of the Zambezi River. They raised over £1 million for the charity. He also appeared in the 2013 edition of Celebrity MasterChef, being eliminated in the second round.

In 2013 Idowu was banned from driving for two years and ordered to complete 50 hours community service after being caught drink driving by police.{{cite news |last=Simon |first=Hart |title=Mr |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/athletics/10360501/Phillips-Idowu-banned-from-driving-for-two-years-after-pleading-guilty-to-drink-driving.html |access-date=7 October 2013 |newspaper=Telegraph |location=London |date=7 October 2013}}

Personal bests

class="wikitable"
Event ! Best ! Location ! Date
Triple jump \| 17.81 m \| Barcelona, Spain \| 29 July 2010
Triple jump (indoor) \| 17.75 m \| Valencia, Spain \| 9 March 2008
Long jump \| 7.83 m \| Ljubljana, Slovenia \| 25 July 2000
60 metres \| 6.81 s \| Carshalton, London, England \| 31 January 2004
100 metres \| 10.60 s \| Ballarat, Australia \| 25 February 2006

class="wikitable"

Event

! Best

! Location

! Date

Triple jump

| 17.81 m

| Barcelona, Spain

| 29 July 2010

Triple jump (indoor)

| 17.75 m

| Valencia, Spain

| 9 March 2008

Long jump

| 7.83 m

| Ljubljana, Slovenia

| 25 July 2000

60 metres

| 6.81 s

| Carshalton, London, England

| 31 January 2004

100 metres

| 10.60 s

| Ballarat, Australia

| 25 February 2006

=International competitions=

File:Triple Jump,Idowu Phillips, Beijing 08.jpg|alt=|none]]

{{AchievementTable}}
colspan="6"\|Representing {{GBR2}} and {{ENG}}
1999 \|European U23 Championships \|Gothenburg, Sweden \|5th \|16.39 m (wind: +0.6 m/s)
2000 \|Olympic Games \|Sydney, Australia \|6th \|17.08 m
2001 \|IAAF World Championships \|Edmonton, Canada \|9th \|16.60 m
rowspan=2\|2002	Commonwealth Games	Manchester, UK \| style="background:silver;"\|2nd \|17.68 m
European Championships \|Munich, Germany \|5th \|16.92 m
2004 \|Olympic Games \|Athens, Greece \|12th \|No Mark
rowspan=2\|2006	Commonwealth Games	Melbourne, Australia \| style="background:gold;"\|1st \|17.45 m
European Championships \|Gothenburg, Sweden \|5th \|17.02 m
rowspan=2\|2007	European Indoor Championships	Birmingham, UK \| style="background:gold;"\|1st \|17.56 m
IAAF World Championships \|Osaka, Japan \|6th \|17.09 m
rowspan=2\|2008	World Indoor Championships	Valencia, Spain \| style="background:gold;"\|1st \|17.75 m
Olympic Games \|Beijing, China \| style="background:silver;"\|2nd \|17.62 m
2009 \|IAAF World Championships \|Berlin, Germany \| style="background:gold;"\|1st \|17.73 m
2010	European Championships	Barcelona, Spain \| style="background:gold;"\|1st \|17.81 m
2011 \|IAAF World Championships \|Daegu, South Korea \| style="background:silver;"\|2nd \|17.77 m

colspan="6"|Representing {{GBR2}} and {{ENG}}

1999

|European U23 Championships

|Gothenburg, Sweden

|5th

|16.39 m (wind: +0.6 m/s)

2000

|Olympic Games

|Sydney, Australia

|6th

|17.08 m

2001

|IAAF World Championships

|Edmonton, Canada

|9th

|16.60 m

rowspan=2|2002

Commonwealth Games

Manchester, UK

| style="background:silver;"|2nd

|17.68 m

European Championships

|Munich, Germany

|5th

|16.92 m

2004

|Olympic Games

|Athens, Greece

|12th

|No Mark

rowspan=2|2006

Commonwealth Games

Melbourne, Australia

| style="background:gold;"|1st

|17.45 m

European Championships

|Gothenburg, Sweden

|5th

|17.02 m

rowspan=2|2007

European Indoor Championships

Birmingham, UK

| style="background:gold;"|1st

|17.56 m

IAAF World Championships

|Osaka, Japan

|6th

|17.09 m

rowspan=2|2008

World Indoor Championships

Valencia, Spain

| style="background:gold;"|1st

|17.75 m

Olympic Games

|Beijing, China

| style="background:silver;"|2nd

|17.62 m

2009

|IAAF World Championships

|Berlin, Germany

| style="background:gold;"|1st

|17.73 m

2010

European Championships

Barcelona, Spain

| style="background:gold;"|1st

|17.81 m

2011

|IAAF World Championships

|Daegu, South Korea

| style="background:silver;"|2nd

|17.77 m

References

External links

{{World Athletics|14189691}}
{{European Athletics|14189691|old_id=i/athlete=143093-idowu-phillips}}
{{Olympics.com|org_archive=20200607171445}}
{{Olympedia}}
{{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090813051542/http://www.mtc-uk.com/talent/phillips-idowu |title=Phillips Idowu - MTC Talent Management |date=dmy}}