No jump of joy from Phillips Idowu

Jul 12 2010 by Stuart Rayner, The Journal

WORLD champion Phillips Idowu launched himself into contention to win the triple jump’s inaugural Diamond League but insisted it is a bit of an irrelevance to him.

The Londoner is not short on bling, so after jumping 17.38m at Gateshead his thoughts were all on the European Championships starting a fortnight tomorrow.

Following his win, the 30-year-old said: “It’s coming together at the right time.

“It is nice to come here without it raining and put in a good performance.

“For me right now the Diamond League is not the most important thing. I need to work on a few technical bits, but today I came out with something like a run-up.”

Bothered or not, Idowi’s win took him level in the standings with Cuban Alexis Copello, third in 17.09m.

Fellow Briton Lisa Dobriskey won the women’s 1,500m in 4:03.69, and the award for performance of the day.

It was her second Diamond League race in half-a-week after the fastest time by a European this year in Switzerland on Thursday.

Martyn Rooney was disappointed after a “sluggish” 400m run saw him finish third behind season’s-best displays from fellow Brit Michael Bingham and winner Ricardo Chambers.

Rooney, who will be in Paris for the next Diamond League event on Friday, said: “I will have to learn from this and not make the mistake again.”

Like Idowu, heptathlete Jessica Ennis was treating Gateshead as a testing ground for Barcelona.

On her return from a virus she had mixed feelings after finishing last in two individual events where she competed with the specialists.

She said: “I was disappointed with my 200m but pleased with my javelin (throwing 46.15m).

“I am fit and healthy but I just need to get a bit more work done.”

Walter Dix (men’s 200m), Linus Thornblad (men’s high jump), Asbel Kiprop (men’s 1,500m), Nadezhda Ostapchuk (women’s shot put) and Carmelita Jeter (women’s 100m) top their Diamond League tables after Saturday’s victories.