Phillips Idowu finally takes centre stage with golden leap

From Tom Oldfield, Sportsbeat, in Berlin

 IT'S taken the best part of 12 years but Phillips Idowu has finally delivered when it matters most and clinched gold at the World Athletics Championships.

 COMING OF AGE: Phillips Idowu finally delivers on the big stage and takes world gold

The 30-year-old Londoner soared to a lifetime best of 17.73 metres to banish the memories of last year's Olympic disappointment and get the better of arch rival Nelson Evora of Portugal.

A year ago, Idowu touched down in Berlin proclaiming himself Superman and unbeatable but left with egg on his face after Evora clinched gold by five centimetres.

Idowu arrived in Berlin insisting he would stay under the radar and go about his business quietly - no easy task with his plethora of piercings and his crimson crop.

But Idowu finally matured in the Olympiastadion and not so much stepped as leapt out of Jonathan Edwards' shadow and captured the major title that has eluded him for so long.

"It's been a long time coming," said Idowu. "And to be honest I didn't think my jump was going to be long enough - I thought I would have to come back and go even bigger.

"But after last year's disappointment I just have to get on my knees and pray to God for becoming world champion.

"It feels so great to get a personal best. I knew this would be my time - God was looking down on me.

"I'll admit I was nervous and I was having some crazy dreams last night. But I woke up this morning and I just thought to myself, ‘go out there and do it'.

"I saw that it was bad weather and I thought ‘I've been performing in bad weather all year so this is going to be my day'."

Until now, Idowu had become a past master at snatching defeat from the jaws of victory at major championships, with 2006 Commonwealth gold the best achievement he could boast.

But the Belgrave Harrier is made of sterner stuff these days - last year's disappointment clearly sounded a few sirens - and despite a 17.54m jump from Evora in round one, Idowu did not lose his composure for a second.

And having become the first British male world champion since fellow triple jumper Edwards, and ensured Great Britain have captured at least two gold medals at a World Championships for the first time since 1993, Idowu revealed the moment had got the better of him.

"I was due to jump next but after Nelson didn't get to my mark and I knew I had won, the water started filling up in my eyes," he added.

"I don't think I could have done that jump even if I had wanted to. I've been waiting for this for so long."