Tamgho “just me against the world” in Birmingham – Samsung Diamond League

It sounds like something out of a Marvel Comic: Powerful Phillips v Elastic Teddy. But that is essentially how World Indoor champion and record holder Teddy Tamgho, the 22-year-old Frenchman who is already third in the all-time list of triple jumpers, sees his meetings with the Phillips Idowu, the Briton who is both his friend and rival.

“I am more elastic,” said Tamgho as he sat in a Birmingham conference room on the eve of the Aviva Birmingham Grand Prix - Samsung Diamond League – where he’ll meet with Britain’s outdoor World champion. “He is more power. He is very strong. I am between him and Jonathan Edwards.”

Although this amiable and leggy young man in a baseball cap is talking in terms of technique, the comparison holds true in terms of distance. When he produced his monumental effort of 17.98 metres in New York City last year it meant he became the third most prodigious triple jumper behind Kenny Harrison of the United States, who jumped 18.09 in securing the 1996 Olympic gold in Atlanta, and Edwards, whose World record of 18.29 has stood effectively unchallenged since he achieved it in taking the 1995 World title.

As for Idowu, his outdoor best of 17.81m puts him outside the all-time top ten, as the 14th furthest. And yet the – at times – literally colourful hair-styled Londoner, who looked for several years as if he was destined not to secure the rewards his talent deserved, has turned it all into tangible reward over the last three years as he has taken Olympic silver, and gold at the World Indoor and Outdoor Championships as well as the European Championships.

Medals not distance the most important

Asked if he feels he can break the world record, Tamgho, his eyes widening, responds: “I think for the future. But now is too early to talk about the world record. I have to get experience. When Jonathan Edwards did his World record he was 30-years-old. So I think I have eight years to learn.”

Tamgho is not quite right – Edwards turned 30 in May of 1996 – but he is broadly correct. Idowu, too, made his World title breakthrough at the age of 30.

But while the old – and not particularly friendly - rivalry between the two Britons is long gone, the new one between the elastic Parisian and the powerful Londoner is strong and, Tamgho believes, mutually profitable.

“I think it is a good rivalry because Phillips is very, very strong,” he says. “I know he can jump 18 metres like me, and the rivalry is very good for us. I think if he wasn’t here I think I didn’t do 17.98.”

Tamgho smiles as he recalls that jump.

“When I jumped 17.98, I saw 18 and I told myself, it’s easy. But to do this again, it’s not really easy!”

Nevertheless he plans to become only the third man to better 18 metres sooner rather than later. And he believes it is something of which his British rival is also capable. That said, he would not consider preferring an 18 metres jump over a gold medal.

“I prefer to win with less, than to come second with 18 metres,” he said.

He has certainly made a good start in that department, having taken gold at the World and European Indoor Championships and bronze in last summer’s outdoor European Championships, where Idowu took gold, not to mention finishing as the first ever Diamond Race Trophy winner in his event.

“It’s very good for me, very good for experience because at 22 you get gold in the World Championships and the European Championships, and even if it is indoors, medal is medal.

“The first goal is a gold medal in the Olympic Games, whatever your age. You can be 30, 35 or 20 - if you are Olympic champion, you are Olympic champion.

Good relationship

“It is going to very important to beat Phillips in all my competitions, although tomorrow it is going to be difficult because he has his coach, his people, and I am alone here with nobody – just me against the world!

“But if I beat him tomorrow, if I win in Monaco, it is going to be good for Korea. I have to win every time. It’s my goal. But I think it’s not possible because Phillips is a very, very good jumper.

“I have a very good relationship with Phillips. I talk to him sometimes, I have his mobile number. We send each other a message maybe twice a month after competitions asking how each other is. He is a rival on the track, but after the track is life…”

Coordination is the key

One competition at which Tamgho will not meet Idowu is next week’s European Under-23 Championships in Ostrava. But he maintains he needs plenty of competition to bed down minor changes he has made to his jumping technique this year.

“Coordination is very important,” he says. “If you don’t have it you are going to lose speed in the hop and the step and the jump, you go to lose speed, and if you lose that you lose distance.”

Cuban rhythm

While Tamgho has clearly made careful study of some of his illustrious predecessors, Edwards – who he feels didn’t achieve the same levels of co-ordination after 1995 - is not his cup of tea.

“No. I prefer the Cubans, I prefer Kenny Harrison,” he says. “Jonathan Edwards –I know he is the best type to do the triple jump perfect, but I don’t like his qualities, I prefer the Cuban and American qualities. The rhythm and speed.”

When it is put to him that he does not receive the same attention back in France as the European 100 and 200m champion Christophe Lemaitre, he is phlegmatic.

“He has run the 100m in under 10 seconds, and I think that’s why the media are very focused on him. I have to do my thing. ‘Why is it Christophe not me?’ -  I don’t have to think about that. I have to focus on the World Championships and Olympic Games. I think if I do my jump there I will have my applause.

Mike Rowbottom for the Samsung Diamond League