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| The clash between European and world triple jump champion Phillips Idowu of Great Britain and world indoor triple jump record holder Teddy Tamgho of France will be one of the highlights of the SPAR European Team Championships in Stockholm on 18-19 June. |
Great Britain’s current world and European triple jump champion Phillips Idowu has confirmed that he has the 2011 SPAR European Team Championships in Stockholm, on 18-19 June, marked in his diary.
He also revealed that his friendly rival with France, world and European indoor champion Teddy Tamgho, should also be in the Swedish capital, which leads to the thought that the triple jump could be one of the highlights of the weekend.
“We meet in New York next month on 11 June – the scene of his (Tamgho’s 2010 world-leading) 17.98m jump last year, the third best of all-time – and then the European Team Championships in Stockholm,” Idowu told the British newspaper Metro.
“However, I know I can’t afford to disregard anybody in my pursuit of a second world title and the Olympic gold medal next year. Sweden’s Christian Olsson also remains a threat, although if you believe everything you read you would think it’s just between me and Teddy for the world title in South Korea this August.”
The 2004 Olympic Games gold medallist Olsson, as one of the darlings of the host nation, is also expected to be jumping in Stockholm next month.
“Last year, when I won European gold, there was no Christian and no Nelson Evora, of Portugal, the guy who beat me to the 2008 Olympic title, and it would have been even better to have beaten the best field possible,” added Idowu.
“Now the plan is straightforward: go out and win the world title for a second time, set a new world record and win that Olympic gold. I think this is the year I make a serious assault on Jonathan Edwards’ 16-year-old world best of 18.29m and I believe that is a realistic goal. Teddy will be thinking the same.
“People are often surprised to hear it, but me and Teddy are good friends. On the circuit you spend so much time together, the result being I have close relationships with many of my fellow triple-jumpers, and Teddy especially.
“I’ve said I see Teddy as a little brother and I stand by that. I also have to take my hat off to someone who is jumping as well as he is.
“I see a lot of myself, or the young Phillips, in Teddy and will help him spot a weakness – not that he has many. The way I see it, the further he jumps the more that spurs me on to go even further,” commented Idowu, whetting the appetite of triple jump aficionados ahead of their pair of scheduled clashes.
However, it’s also worth remembering that both men were shoved out of the spotlight at the 2010 SPAR European Team Championships by Ukraine’s Viktor Kuznetsov, who caused one of the biggest surprises of the weekend in Bergen 12 months ago.
Kuznetsov produced a personal best of 17.26m, an improvement of three centimetres, in the first round and neither Idowu or Tamgho could respond, having to eventually settle for second and third place respectively.