You will see me jumping to different beat in 2012, vows Idowu
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Nearly three years have passed since a mere five centimetres denied Phillips Idowu Olympic gold in Beijing.
Having dominated the 2008 season, he was pipped to the title by Portugal's Nelson Evora, whose fourth-round leap of 17.67metres edged the Hackney-born Idowu's best effort by less than the width of a bank card.
There has been plenty of time to dwell on it and the silver medal "is tucked away somewhere" at the Midlands home he shares with his partner and their two children.
The triple jumper's faith has helped him come to terms with that loss and to look ahead to next month's World Championships in Korea as well as London 2012 with confidence.
"I hope it's God's will that I win in London and Daegu," he says on a rare visit to his home town of London during the one-year-to-go celebrations.
"It clearly wasn't in Beijing but I hope that's different for London. I always feel that, if it's meant to be, it's meant to be."
Religion is an important part of Idowu's approach both to athletics and life in general. For the trip to Daegu next month, he will pack his Bible as he does for each overseas event.
Idowu says there are no specific passages that he turns to on the eve of competition but, while in Korea, his mother will suggest some relevant readings from the good book to inspire him in his quest for gold.
"My mum sends me extracts from the Bible and I do read them and she always seems able to find good ones to go with whatever time or competition it is," he says. "It helps me focus when I'm competing."
Idowu describes himself as "raised in the church" but readily admits he became lax in his faith in his late teens and early twenties. He credits a return to the church as well as meeting his partner Carlita for turning him into a consistently high-performing world-class athlete.
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"I made my way back to the church at a point where things started going well for me," he recalls. "I got into a relationship with my partner and I won my first gold. It was one of the things that made my life a lot better."
Along with his Bible, the other thing he has tended to pack for competitions is his son Prince's teddy although that particular item is now off limits, according to the 18-month-old.
Idowu laughs that contagious laugh of his when saying, "he's not letting me take any of his toys out of the house!" before he points out his son has "picked up my temper".
Idowu seems too laid-back to blow his lid although he admits: "I've got a temper but it takes a lot for me to go." His on-going row with Charles van Commenee is a case in point although the subject is off-limits for our interview.
Idowu is not in London to reopen that particular debate but instead to take part in an adidas shoot with music stars Snoop Dogg and Warren G in which that unlikely trio take on three of Britain's basketball stars. Despite his triple jump success, the NBA was the 32-year-old's first sporting love growing up.
"I'd love to have had the opportunity to play in the NBA but I'm grateful that I'm able to be a world-class athlete," he says. "I'm not sure if I would have achieved that success in playing basketball although I think I had the talent."
His teachers at his Hackney school instead saw that Idowu's talent lay in the triple jump pit and he recalls them helping him in that quest by not picking him for the school basketball team.
"My PE teacher thought I was more suited to track and field," he adds. "He helped me a lot and triple jump kept me out of trouble by doing something positive. And I enjoyed the triple jump - it was fun for me as I was winning - and today I love what I do. If I didn't then I'd quit."
With London looming there is no danger of that and he believes he is better set to land gold thanks to just missing out in Beijing. In the past, he has hinted he could have retired from jumping had he won the ultimate accolade in China.
But inside a year to go to 2012, he says: "Even if I'd won gold in Beijing, I think I would have wanted to compete but I don't know how hungry I would have been." As for the London Games, Idowu adds wistfully: "I can't imagine winning Olympic gold anywhere else," which is unsurprising as he grew up just around the corner from the Olympic Park in Hackney.
He describes his youth in the area as tough while he recalls the "wasteland" that stood where construction is still ongoing for the Games centre piece. "There was nothing there," he says. "Growing up, east London was quite rough and, with the poverty and stuff, it was tough. But the Olympics has changed it and anyway I love London however it is as it's home.
"I definitely miss London life," adds Idowu, who is now based in Birmingham in order to train full-time with coach Aston Moore. "I miss everything about the place but particularly my friends and family. I'll be back once the athletics is finished. As for the Games, there is so much to do between now and then, although it's exciting. I'm looking forward to it."
The current focus is on his bid to defend the world title he won in Berlin two years ago. That cause has been helped by the recent withdrawal of Frenchman and closest rival Teddy Tamgho through injury.
But as Idowu points out: "Teddy's a great talent but it's not just us two. There will be 12 people in the final and there's always someone out there that can upset the order." With or without Tamgho in the competition, he believes he has a big jump within him in 2011. "I definitely feel an 18-metre jump is within me," he insists. "Most of the competitions I've done this year have not been in the greatest conditions and I've had to make do with taking victories around the 17.50s. When I get to my ideal conditions, I believe I can jump big."
The form book of recent seasons would suggest so - he has sealed a personal best for the past three years - and he still believes he is improving. "I still have a lot to learn," he admits. "The triple jump is so mechanical and people don't realise that."
Should that 18m-plus leap come, Idowu will know almost the second he lands his foot on the board for the hop phase of his jump, adding: "You just know when it's right straight away."
He feels that if there wasn't a bigger leap in his armoury then he would pack away his Team GB kit once and for all. "Once I feel I can't jump any further, it's time to stop," he says before admitting he may yet have two more Olympics within him.
Rio de Janeiro in 2016 is a long way off but, should he win gold in London, he feels he will be almost obliged to launch a defence. "I don't want to watch from home and have someone take that from me," he adds. "I want to defend that title."
When he does jump in Daegu and London and potentially Rio, none of his family will be present, which is the family man's personal wish in order to get the best out of himself.
"My family are everything - they inspire me and keep me grounded but I'm always quite worried about Carlita and the children if they're there, and I think that shows in my results. So when it comes to the Olympics, they can watch from home."
The plan is that their small sacrifice of staying away will be rewarded by him bringing them back a gold.
Snoop Dogg, Warren G and Phillips Idowu took on GB Basketball players in a game of three on three organised by adidas, official sportswear partner for London 2012. The game marked the adidas one year to go countdown to the London 2012 Olympic Games. Check out who won at www.adidas.com