Dreams Of Gold
Edwards backs Idowu to follow up with Beijing gold
TRIPLE JUMPER Phillips Idowu
smashed Jonathan Edwards' tenyear
old British indoor record to
ensure Team GB returned from
the World Indoor Championships
with a gold medal to declare.
Idowu had the gold all but
sewn up in the second round
when he hop, skipped and
jumped himself to a distance of
17.75m.
It was 11cm further than Edwards'
best indoor effort and the
fifth furthest indoor distance of
all time.
Rivals Arnie David Girat of
Cuba and Portugal's Nelson
Evora failed to improve on the 29-
year-old's effort as Idowu added
gold to the silvers won by Kelly
Sotherton, Jeannette Kwakye,
Dwain Chambers and Chris Tomlinson.
Edwards - who was among the
crowd at the Luis Puig velodrome
- believes the Londoner has the
ability to follow in his footsteps
and win Olympic gold this summer.
"There is no reason why he
can't win gold in Beijing," said
the former World, European,
Commonwealth and Olympic
champion.
"I don't see anyone out there
who can jump further and now
he has the confidence to go with
his talent he could do it."
Despite Commonwealth and
European Indoor titles, Idowu
has failed to deliver at the very
top level - until now.
But the Belgrave Harrier with
the fire-red hair denied he was
now the Olympic favourite.
"I think there are a few out
there who haven't been in Spain
that will consider themselves
favourites," said Idowu.
"I like to keep myself in the
background until it is the right
time, as I have done here.
"It is nice to win and I was always
confident I could do it. I
knew I had a big jump in me as I
felt confident and I produced it at
the right time."
Meanwhile, Mo Farah conceded
his hopes of an Olympic medal
in Beijing are slim after an
African one, two, and three in the
men's 3000m.
Farah, who will celebrate his
25th birthday this month, was
the top European finishing sixth
in a time of 7.55.08 minutes.
And while he will switch to his
preferred 5000m in China, the European
silver medallist knows he
will have his work cut out to close
the gap on the African contingent.
Tariku Bekele of Ethiopia won
gold with his compatriot Abreham
Cherkos finishing third and
Kenyan Paul Kipsiele Koech taking
silver.
Farah said: "These guys are
different class and you need to
mix it with the guys and train
hard.
"To tell the truth I still have
quite a long way to go to catch
the top guys."
Wigan's Jenny Meadows couldn't
hide her disappointment, despite
finishing fifth in the 800m
final.
The 26-year-old lost the tactical
battle in a race where 2.02 minutes
proved enough for gold.
She said: "I'm devastated to
come fifth.
"I really wanted to get on that
rostrum and I didn't even want
the minor medal. I wanted silver
or gold."
9:16am Monday 10th March 2008
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