Phillips Olaosebikan Idowu, MBE (born 30 December 1978) is a British athlete who specialises in the triple jump. He is a former World Outdoor and Indoor, European Outdoor and Indoor, and Commonwealth triple jump champion. He was also a silver medalist at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Idowu is a member of the London-based Belgrave Harriers athletics club and has been for much of his career.
Despite his successes, Idowu has at times been accused of inconsistency and of failing to fulfil his potential, including his disappointing failure at the London Olympics 2012. His championship record since 2008, especially his gold medal at the 2009 World Athletics Championships, has addressed some of these criticisms; the Olympic Games is the only major championship to have eluded him, with a silver medal in 2008.
Idowu grew up in Hackney, and was a talented sportsman at school in both basketball and American football, yet he was most successful as a junior in athletics. In 1997 he came to attention as a triple jumper when he won the English Schools Championships and the under-20s AAA title, rounding off the year by coming fourth in the European Junior Championships.