Phillips Idowu - Statement

His agent has released a statement saying Phillips Idowu is very disappointed not to make the final of the triple jump but he is going to stay in the Olympic village until the end of the games as his having a good time sponging of the British taxpayer to fund his lame attempt to win a medal.

OK the last bit is made up, but why should he be allowed to stay in the Village using the facilities which are paid for by us?

Has the man no shame?

Staying in the village , going to the track [/i]To support his team mates[i]

Ever think of that ?

He doesn't give a toss about his team mates.

His in it for himself.

Ever think of that ?

You'll think what you want .

I reckon my idea is more likely

Most athletes are in it for their glory not the Teams.

The man is an embarrassment to the rest of Team GB

I agree with HERSH. He should be made to work in security along with the army who gave up leave if he wants to stay there.

Im a patriotic british man, but if the triple jump had come down to a Gb vs Aus battle, i think id have been singing waltzing mathilda

Interesting outlook here people.....

Though you should probably get the full story on him before jumping to conclusions..

For instance do you realise that he has turned down lottery funding for the past three years...instead he has used his own earnings to continue to fund his career. How many of our GB athletes would or have done that?

I can think of a fair few more of our track & field team who have disappointed over & over again year after year and continue to take the funding without a seconds thought...

This is a man who has represented us with both pride & success at every level of competition..he is a former World Champion & Olympic silver medalist.

I find it baffling why so many people are pointing the finger at the guy to be quite honest. It was the BOA's decision to 'out' him & his fitness concerns to the media...all Phillips had done was keep quite, put his head down & attempt to focus on getting fit in time to mount a challenge..

They knew where he was at all times so I do not buy into the nonsense spouted about him going missing in the lead up to the games. The BOA & Van Commenee knew his where abouts..they would have had to have by law. They could of come out and said 'we know where he is..he has chosen to continue getting treatment on a niggling injury rather than come to Portugal for the training camp'....they didn't.

Instead they made an absolute circus of the whole thing which has not only left them with egg on their face but also left Idowu being portrayed in this poor manner...

If I was injured leading into my home games then I would be doing everything I could to ensure I was fit in time...that would mean being treated by Physio's...who I THOUGHT WERE THE BEST AVAILABLE...and would be doing the TRAINING WHICH I CONSIDERED CORRECT for the level of fitness I was at...

Had Idowu gone to the training camp and been available to the media in the build up to the games then instead of concentrating on actually recovering his focus & time would have been consumed by Media outings/conferences etc & being the face of the games along with Ennis...

To be honest I think that is the part that Seb & Co are most annoyed about. They saw him as a pawn which they could use to drive the games and gain financially...nothing more.

Yawn...

Did he really turn it down, I've heard he was refused it as it meant he had to do what other wanted him to do if he took it.

His in it for himself, look where that got him.

The money looks like it was better spent else where anyway IMO.

Why would he have been denied it- is it due to him being an established pro athlete that clearly earns from endorsements and meet prizes.

he would have been band A- so that is 27k a year at max(however the ave is 18k). I am not sure he would have demanded that. Idowu is quite established these days

Maybe he can pay for his stay in the village while he's a it.

I heard they all just bang each other in the village so i am not suprised he is hanging about

He wasn't denied it mystiroakey - as an Olympic A standard athlete he is offered it and makes the elite athlete programme list set out by both Sport England & UK Athlete...he is therefore entitled to the minimum amount set out in guidelines to allow an athlete to train professionally full time...

He has been allowed this and offered it in the past 3 years, in that time he has refused it each & every time instead choosing to fund himself because he has the finances to do so and knows the money can be given to someone else with whom would benefit from it..

With regards to doing what other wanted him to do if he took it?...

Nonsense..you do realise that just because you are funded you do not have to commit to everything that UK Sport/Sport England tell you to do...their are certain guidelines that have to be met with regards to performance which if an athlete does not then they are at risk of having funding withdrawn..as long as an athlete is achieving the goals/targets that are set out then they will continue to receive funding..

Also another point to mention is that previous to the build up to these games Idowu had attended all British Athletic training camps in the previous two years...(except on those occasions where he was injured)...so it is not like he is some kind of lone ranger doing everything alone...he is usually both an integral and key face in & amongst the GB squad.

The simple fact of the matter is that he was injured coming into the games, he chose to concentrate on getting in the best shape that he possibly could...

The fact he chose to do so in a manner which he thought was best, i.e. to use his own doctors and to train alone should not be judged because they are the same team he has used year in year out for the past 3 years..

Fair enough slate the guy if he was being funded and UK Athletics were paying for physio's etc for him to use and he wasn't...but that doesn't happen because he funds himself...

Based on what we have seen with regards to injuries so far I would go as far as saying perhaps Phillips was best to steer clear of the camp & physio's provided...

Pozzi, Sayers, Awde all picked up injuries...

Dai Greene, Ellington, Rooney, Perri Shakes, Shara Proctor....all looked to have either been pretty tired and showed nothing approaching any kind of form...

That for me point's to both coaching & physio staff getting some big things wrong heading into the games.

HERSH wrote:He doesn't give a toss about his team mates.

His in it for himself.

Ever think of that ?

And to think you got excited when Bath signed Moody

HERSH you're a bad man sir