Phillips Leaps To European Gold

NEWS

Phillips Leaps To European Gold

Phillips Idowu claimed Gold in Barcelona as he set a new personal best of 17.81 metres to add the European title to his World and Commonwealth titles

Phillips Idowu produced a scintillating display of triple-jumping as he set a new personal best of 17.81 metres to win the triple jump title in the European Championships in Barcelona, meaning he is now the reigning World, European and Commonwealth champion.

Phillips came into the competition under pressure from some of the media as they said that he has not been jumping at his best and questioned his ability to hold of the challenge of Frenchman Teddy Tamgho. Phillips responded in spectacular style producing a master class in triple-jumping to claim another gold medal, set a new PB and underline his undoubted ability to raise his game when it counts - on the big stage!

A delighted Phillips, who was denied Olympic gold by just five centimetres in Beijing 2008 told reporters that his next aim is to claim gold at London 2012. Phillips said "There's one more medal in my career I need to win and that's in a couple of years' time. I came here to win the medal, I won the medal and now I want to go home and celebrate and look forward to the end of the season and preparation towards 2012.

"The aim is to keep getting better year after year and improving my personal best. It's not going to be easy headed towards 2012 to keep improving over the next two years, but by then I need to be as close as possible to that 18m mark to make sure I can win that gold."

Phillips led from start to finish with jumps of 17.46m, 17.47m and 17.40m followed by 17.81m in the fourth round, eclipsing his previous personal best of 17.73m set in winning the world title in Berlin last year. Tamgho was expected to be Phillips major rival but he was forced to settle for bronze after jumping 17.45m with Oprea taking silver with a jump of 17.51m in the fifth round.

Congratulations to Phillips from all at MTC!