Phillips expects gold at his last Worlds Championships

Dwight Phillips

Moscow - Four-time world long jump champion Dwight Phillips of United States will be competing in his seventh and last World Championships here and the 35-year-old has already set his eyes on the gold medal.

“My expectation is always to represent my country to the best of my ability. In the past that has always been a gold, so I can’t imagine any other result. But this is definitely my last championships, after here it’s time to hang up the spikes. I will do a couple of meetings afterwards, but it’s my last year,” said Phillips, who will turn 36 in October, here Saturday, reports Xinhua.

“Missing last year’s Olympics after I tore my Achilles tendon was devastating because I wanted to end there but I wanted to go out on my own terms so I’m here. I’m very excited and motivated that I can go past Allen Johnson and Michael Johnson here. We all have four gold medals in our individual event. I can have five.”

Phillips first competed in the World Championships in 2001 when he finished eighth in Edmonton. The American bounced back to take gold in 2003 and 2005. After settling with a bronze in 2007 Osaka Worlds, Phillips claimed back-to-back titles in Berlin and Daegu in 2009 and 20011, respectively. Now he has the chance to charge for a fifth world title here.

“I love track and field. I’ve been doing it since I was eight. Athletes like Carl Lewis and Edwin Moses inspired me and I hope I can inspire others,” said the 1.85m-high veteran.

Phillips will face several in-form rivals, including local favourite Aleksandr Menkov who has produced four over-8.30m results this season, and Mexico’s Luis Rivera, who jumped a world leading 8.46m to claim title at the Kazan Universiade last month.

“I don’t worry about others. There are several in good form, Aleksandr Menkov for example, but anyone can pop out that big jump. Although I’m not the favourite, in my own eyes I am,” said Phillips.

“The level of the event has not been so good the past one-two years but I was criticised early in my career for not jumping far and I elevated my marks over time. We’re in a transition period, we will see some big marks again soon.”