- London Olympics 2012
Van Commenee considered axing Idowu
UK Athletics head coach Charles van Commenee has revealed he considered dropping triple jumper Phillips Idowu from London 2012 due to concerns over his fitness.
Idowu's condition remains a concern after the triple jumper failed to travel to a warm-weather training camp in Portugal. His decision to stay in London for treatment prompted the British Olympic Association to demand to see his medical records.
While Van Commenee insists he would not stand in the way of Idowu fulfilling his Olympic dream, he admits dropping the Beijing silver medallist would be best to preserve transparency in the sport.
"It doesn't look good on anybody, but I have only one sanction and I decided not to play that card - because of him, because of the crowd, and because the nation will cry," Van Commenee said. "I can see the point of putting the sanction in place for clarity and for the long-term future and how we run and want to run the sport.
"The question is, 'Do I sacrifice a potential gold medallist for a transparent and clear policy that makes the sport easier to run in the future - or not?' And I decided to have sympathy and to give Phillips the chance to win.
"I felt I didn't want to be in the way of this athlete fulfilling his dream. It's a difficult one, because it's undermining how the sport should be run and proper governance.
"Whether it undermines me is a question that's up to other athletes to answer. I don't feel my position has been undermined but I could understand if people look at it that way."
© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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