London 2012 Olympics: Idowu insists he did not break off contact with his coach

PHILLIPS Idowu has insisted he had not broken off contact with his coach Aston Moore in the build-up to his unsuccessful bid for Olympic triple jump glory.

Idowu opted to arrange his own treatment on a trapped nerve in London rather than attend UKA’s training camp in Portugal, even though Moore and UK Athletics’ medical experts were there.

UKA head coach Charles van Commenee said he was perplexed that Idowu had “turned his back” on Moore, whom he said had only received a brief text before Idowu cut off contact.

Speaking on 1 August, Van Commenee said: “Up until about two weeks ago, Aston was in regular contact and had seen him in training a number of times, but that contact died.

“[He had] a brief text message about a week ago and that was it. Phillips decided not to join the team [in Portugal] and by definition in my eyes he compromises his preparation. I find it bizarre. Aston finds it bizarre.”

However, in his column for the Evening Standard after failing to qualify for tonight’s triple jump final, Idowu wrote: “I feel the situation could have gone differently if there’d been less talking and I’d just been left to get on with my job. A statement was made saying there had been no contact with Aston but I’ve still got the messages on my phone to prove that’s not true.”

It would not be the first time that Idowu has called Van Commenee a liar, the first coming after Van Commenee accused him of announcing his withdrawal from last year’s European Team Championships via Twitter.

The unseemly saga looks set to rumble on with Van Commenee insisting he has no intention of giving Idowu the public apology he wants.

“I have always been clear that communication is always open at this end, but Phillips wants a public apology from me before he wants to speak to me and that is not going to happen,” Van Commenee told BBC Sport last month. “An apology has to mean something. I am not going to apologise when I don’t mean it.”