Take the gold...Too much to ask of Idowu?

Phillips Idowu is desperate to claim gold in the Olympic Stadium next week

You may have noticed the 'Adidas #takethestage' adverts which seem to be all over London billboards at the moment. If you haven't, they essentially showcase various Team GB stars such as Louis Smith, Jessica Ennis and Tom Cleverley (an interesting choice...) with slogans like 'take the crown' and 'take the pressure'. Amidst the throng of athletes faces on display, the one that has attracted my attention the most is that of eccentric triple jumper Phillips Idowu which bears the slogan 'take the gold'. This has got to be one of the biggest asks of all.


The enigmatic Idowu has been in the headlines throughout the run up to London 2012, as he is apparently at loggerheads with UK athletics coach Charles van Commenee and a furore has erupted over his fitness. The 33-year-old is due to compete in his fourth Olympic Games in London, with the qualifying round a week tomorrow and the final two days later on Thursday 9th August. Yet what shape he will be in on the day has been a hot talking point amongst athletics fans over recent weeks. Having initially picked up a mysterious injury in a Diamond League meeting in Oregon on June 1st, the Nigerian-British athlete has since missed four competitions, including the Aviva Grand Prix at Crystal Palace earlier in July, seen as the major warm up event for the athletics at the Olympics.

Idowu failed to fly out to Portugal for the warm weather training camp with the rest of the track and field contingent of Team GB, preferring to stay in Britain for medical treatment. After pulling out from the Crystal Palace event, the Beijing 2008 silver medallist announced that the injury problem was a trapped nerve running between his left knee and left hip. This was after previously denying any injury problem at all, a direct contradiction with the stance of van Commenee who had publicly stated that Idowu was injured. The two have failed to see eye to eye since the Dutch coach publicly blasted the athlete for his use of Twitter, then refused to back down and apologise. There have been other unprofessional communication problems relating to the man from Hackney, as the BOA somewhat embarrassingly demanded to see his medical records publicly. After initially acting offended Idowu and his cohort complied and the BOA then somewhat backtracked and pledged their support to the man who is in the twilight of an exuberant career.


Highlights of Idowu's CV include winning gold at the 2006 Commonwealth Games, being crowned World champion in 2009 and setting a personal best on the way to gold at the 2010 world indoor championships in Barcelona. But low points have included flopping at Athens 2004 with three no jumps and being on the end of a backlash after refusing to travel  to the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi for dubious reasons, something which he insisted he didn't regret several months later. For him to cap such an enigmatic career by improving on his 2008 silver is a huge ask after missing two months of competition. However, Idowu remains third favourite for the gold medal behind the USA duo of Christian Taylor and Will Claye, who have Jonathan Edwards' world record in their sights. Idowu will be hoping the Americans have an off day in the final. If and when he enters the Olympic Stadium next week, he will put up to 15 times his own bodyweight through his injured leg on every impact, no mean feat for any athlete, even at their peak. For the triple jumper to perform at London 2012 he will need to ensure that his mind is in the right place at the right time. Idowu is undoubtedly extremely talented, and though the build up to his hometown games has been far from ideal, if the man of many hair colours can live up to the billing and 'take the gold' he will write his name into history. I'm sure he wouldn't have it any other way.