It should have been the crowning moment of his long and successful career so far. Phillips Idowu, so often seen as the bridesmaid, had just won his first global outdoor triple jump title by claiming gold at the world championships in Berlin two months ago and there to present him with his gleaming medal at the Olympic Stadium was none other than Jonathan Edwards standing next to him on the podium, his great predecessor.
So how did the new world champion feel about this? "I thought it was tacky," Idowu replies. "I would have appreciated it a lot more if my coach, Aston Moore, had given me the medal."
Edwards, of course, is still the long-term world record holder for the event after his world championship-winning display in 1995 with a huge leap of 18.29 metres. He won the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year award as a result and went on to take gold at the Sydney Olympics in 2000, as well as a host of other major titles. He now displays the letters CBE beside his name.
Idowu, on the other hand, has no letters next to his - although this may be rectified in the New Year's Honours List after Berlin - no Olympic gold medal after his silver in Beijing last year, and no world record, with a personal best of 17.73 metres, but he is now the world outdoor and indoor triple jump champion, the defending Commonwealth champion, and was the European Indoor gold medallist in 2007 before injury prevented him from defending his title earlier this year.
To an extent he appreciates what Edwards has done for his event. "It was good to have someone before me who set such a high standard," the 30-year-old from Hackney concedes. "It meant to be considered good in Britain you had to reach an elite standard."
But that was then and and now he would like it to be his time, his era. The only problem is, Jonathan Edewards will not go away.
"Having him always around as a commentator is a real bitch," Idowu explains. "Every time I'm competing I hear his voice and see him up there in the commentary box looking at me. I wish he was a distant memory, but he's not. And then, when I've won my first outdoor world title, and produced my longest ever jump, the man who has jumped further than me is presenting me with the medal. It was an obvious choice for the competition's organisers to make, seeing that he was there in the TV stand commentating, but it was my medal, and it was supposed to be my occasion."
Idowu is stroking his small beard and fiddling with one of his various facial studs as he explains this, his hair closely-cropped and blonde, as opposed to the red he sported in Berlin. He is dressed in an outfit that can only be described as Fred Perry playing tennis in the 1930's and as he talks he reveals two, red studs in his tongue. In reality he is quiet and shy, but you wouldn't think so looking at him. What you see is not what you get, and therein lies part of the problem.
"I can never see myself as Britain's number one triple jumper, let alone the world's," he continues. "I'll always be seen to be behind Jonathan until I've equalled or surpassed his achievements. If people think about British triple jumping they still think about Jonathan Edwards. When it comes to me people say: "Oh yeah, he's the guy with the coloured hair and studs, isn't he?""
Is this still the case? "Well, I'm detecting a slight change since I won the world title. There's a little more respect there. But I've been winning medals for nearly ten years now and it's taken this long. I'm still
seen as second best and that's what pushes me forward and keeps me striving for more success."
So has his appearance detracted from the supreme sportsman he clearly is? "I don't know, but I don't do it for anyone else, just me. I get bored with my appearance so I like to change every so often, putting in and taking out studs, and having new tattoos or hair colour. I'm very comfortable with my body and how I look, and that's all that counts. It shouldn't and doesn't make any difference to the way I perform. Nor should it to the way people think of me as a sportsman. There may be some people in athletics who don't approve but I just come to the track, do my job and leave. If people don't like it, that's not my problem."
What is, quite evidently, is attempting to surpass Edwards which, on the basis of his world indoor title, he would if Idowu can achieve the small matter of an Olympic title and world record. He is confident he can, if he remains fit, and this is not because of his new world title.
"Everyone thinks I've boosted my self-esteem and confidence because of what happened in Berlin but the truth is I only did what I expected to achieve," he adds. "It's my job, I've never doubted I was good enough, so there was no "Wow, I'm the world champion" moment. Over the past ten years I've been winning many medals, and many golds, too, and on these occasions I've either been 100% fit, which has meant gold, or not, which has resulted in lesser medals or making a final. I've missed major championships through injury because the triple jump is especially demanding on your body, but the only time I've not won gold when 100% was in Beijing when I still jumped a season's best but got beaten by a better performance on the day by (Portugal's) Nelson Evora.
"I was very down after that and basically spent the next few weeks after returning from the Olympics doing nothing except getting continually drunk. I decided to make a lot of changes. I switched coaches and left London to establish a new training base in Birmingham and ever since it's gone well.
"So I see no reason why I can't continue to win titles. If some good English youngsters qualify well for the Commonwealth Games next year then I may step down and let them compete. If they don't I'll go and defend my title. The Europeans next year will be tough because I'll be up against Nelson again but I'm confident of winning every title up to and including the London Olympics when I'll still be only 33 years old. Then, maybe, I'll be seen as Britain's best."
And if he does you can be sure Mr Edwards will be there.
2009 is the National Lottery's 15th anniversary. More than £23 million has been raised for Good Causes including sport, meaning athletes such as Phillips Idowu have benefitted from grants, making a difference to people and communities across the UK. Visit www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk
Phillips Idowu supports the NSPCC and the RSPCA.
