By Richard Lewis
Belgrave Harrier Phillips Idowu plans to turn 2010 into a record-breaking year.
Idowu finally landed the triple jump gold medal he has craved all his career with his brilliant victory at the World Championships in Berlin in the summer.
But as the British Athletics League star contemplated what lies ahead, he knows he can jump better - and found more than one fault with the leap that took him to glory in Germany.
Idowu, 31 next month, is now chasing the World Indoor record of 17.83m, set in 1997 by Cuban Aliecer Urrutia.
When the Londoner won the World indoor title in Valencia last year, victory arrived with 17.75m, a personal jump that put him fifth on the all-time indoor rankings.
“I wasn’t too far off it last time,” said Idowu talking exclusively to www.bal.org.uk.
“And from my performance at the World Championships in Berlin, it is something that is within my capabilities. It would be a good thing to add to my list of achievements.”
Idowu won in Berlin with 17.73m, so no doubting his consistency. And achieving a World record could play a part in whether he defends his title in Doha in March.
The indoor season plays a big part in his calendar and he will be appearing in Britain at the Aviva Grand Prix in Birmingham on February 20.
But Idowu, pictured above at the launch of the domestic indoor season, knows the importance of his World title from Valencia in taking his career to another level. Later that year he won silver at the Olympic Games in Beijing before 12 months on, he made it to the top of the podium in Berlin.
He said: “Winning in Valencia was important for what has happened since then. It was my first global title - indoors or out - and it was a great performance as well: indoor pb, British and Commonwealth record indoors. It gave me a lot of confidence.
“I went on from there to remain pretty-much undefeated all through the summer, until Beijing, but it made a big difference.
“I am going to have an indoor season, though I am not confirming whether I will be competing at the World Indoors or not. I like competing indoors because it starts off my year quite well. It is just a break from a tough winter.
“If I am in the right place to go and defend my title, then I will go.
“But if I have a World indoor record before the World Indoors, then I will be more than content with my indoor season and call it a day there.”
There is room for improvement.
Idowu has watched his Berlin glory and after being emotional at first, he now knows what he did wrong...even though he won gold.
He added: “There was lots to improve on from that one jump - which gives me a great deal of motivation to move forward to try to be even better in 2010.
“My hop and step were a lot shorter than they usually are and there was hesitation. They are minor points that most people would not care about but if you tweak them, it makes a whole deal of difference to your performance.”
Idowu has been enjoying life since Berlin and last weekend was named as the Male Athlete of the Year by the British Athletics’ Writer’s Association.
He said: “I don’t feel any different. I am just getting on with my normal day-to-day things.”

Follow this link for tickets for the 2010 UKA Indoor and Outdoor events or phone on 0800 055 60 56.