De Vos: Phillips Idowu will be fit

UK Athletics chief executive Niels de Vos believes Phillips Idowu will be fit to challenge for medals at the London Olympics.

Head coach Charles van Commenee had said he fears the triple jumper, who is 8/1 to win gold, may not be able to compete due to a trapped nerve which is causing pain in his left hip and knee. Idowu is undergoing treatment in London on the problem, instead of joining the athletes’ training camp in Portugal, and has not competed since 1st June.

He is preparing in the best way he sees and I am sure he will be there.

Niels de Vos

However, De Vos is backing Idowu to do “very well” on home soil.

“I am very confident Phillips Idowu will be fit will be fit. There has been a kind of media furore over this which is a bit of a nonsense. It’s manufactured by the media essentially,” said De Vos.

“He is a very experienced athlete. He has won Olympic medals, world medals; he is preparing in the best way he sees and I am sure he will be there, and if he is ready, which I believe he will be, I think he will do very well. It’s as simple as that.”

The qualifying for the triple jump takes place on 7th August, with the final two days later. Idowu, who won silver in Beijing four years ago, faces tough competition from Americans Christian Taylor and Will Claye, who are 6/5and 4/1 respectively to take gold.

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