'We still don't know if Phillips Idowu is fit but there is no rift,' says BOA
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Your support makes all the difference.The British Olympic Association is still to determine whether Phillips Idowu, one of the host nation's leading gold medal contenders, will be fit enough to take part in the Games and has denied there is any rift with the triple jumper.
Last night the BOA, which runs the British team at the Games, finally received the medical records it requested three days ago. The BOA has the authority to de-select an athlete if its medics do not consider him fit enough to compete.
Idowu was described as "disappointed" by the BOA's request for his records after he withdrew from the track and field squad's training camp in Portugal for further treatment on a hip injury – Idowu has withdrawn from his last four competitions. The BOA's medics have been in contact with Idowu over the last three days but it was not until last night that the documents were delivered. Andy Hunt, the BOA's chief executive, insisted the records were needed to give Idowu "maximum support" from a large medical team and that while Idowu might have issues with UK Athletics there is not a problem with the BOA.
Hunt said: "We know the relationship between the governing body and the athlete isn't as strong as it could be. We're now in a Games environment, Phillips comes under our duty of care and it's important we give him every possible support and assess his ability to compete."
According to Colin Moynihan, chairman of the BOA, the relationship with Idowu is "excellent." The BOA has not set a deadline for determining if Idowu competes.
The BOA also says it has no issue with Gareth Bale after he played a friendly for Tottenham despite making himself unavailable for selection for Team GB due to a back injury. Sepp Blatter said the Welshman could be banned from playing for his club during the Games but the BOA has no desire to see that happen.
Tottenham hit back yesterday by describing Blatter's remarks "as wholly unacceptable and unjustified". Yesterday the club, still on tour in America, issued a detailed statement on the steps taken in the build-up to Bale's withdrawal from Team GB which it said was taken in collaboration with the FA. Spurs said that an MRI scan of the injury had been sent to the FA's medical team on 29 June.
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