It is normal in British sport for athletes with true potential to indulge in self-deprecating twaddle, so it is refreshing to find someone such as Phillips Idowu relishing his pole position. In the build-up to the triple jump at the Aviva UK Championships and Olympic trials in Birmingham, it was suggested that Idowu faced some stiff opposition. “There ain't no one on my shoulder,” he said.

Confidence is a wonderful thing, but you wondered whether Idowu was getting ahead of himself. He won the world indoor title in March with a mighty leap of 17.75 metres, but his best outdoors before yesterday was only five centimetres better than Arnie David Girat, of Cuba. In an event where no-jumps and dark horses mean that there is capacity for mayhem, there is not much daylight in being a clear favourite.

Yesterday, while plenty of others were falling victim to ailing bodies, Idowu took care of business. His jumps of 17.58 metres and 17.57 were the best in the world this year and he predicted that he would soon destroy the world record and win an Olympic gold medal. “I can probably put another 80 centimetres to a metre to what I'm doing,” he said, adding that “18.40 is not beyond my capabilities if I nail one right, run through the way I can and complete my jump properly.”

That is a phlegmatic way of talking of shattering Jonathan Edwards's mark of 18.29. He said Peter Stanley, Edwards's former coach, had told him that his jumps off eight strides were at least a metre better than the former golden boy. Such is Idowu's confidence that he is even talking of where he may break the world record. The Aviva London Grand Prix in a fortnight is one possibility. “I need to remain injury-free and keep progressing and you'll see something special,” he said. “I'm hoping for a massive jump there [at Crystal Palace].”

Last year Dave Collins, the UKA performance director, spoke about having too many cars in the garage. It is becoming a mantra and he must hope there are a few finely-tuned engines under the dented bodywork. Nicola Sanders, the 400 metres silver medal-winner from the World Championships, headed the list of those to depart Birmingham with an assortment of ailments. She said that she felt a slight twinge in her quad so she withdrew as a precaution.

Kelly Sotherton, the heptathlete medal hope who has had a disrupted season because of acute kidney failure, also left in a mixed mood. She managed 6.28 metres off a short run-up in the long jump and threw 34.31 metres in the javelin. “It wasn't that great but it's my best for three years and an improvement,” she said.

With the bulk of the Olympic team announced today, Greg Rutherford, the long jumper, was one of the star turns, gaining a qualifying distance of 8.20 metres despite admitting that his mind had been “all over the place” after his grandfather had terminal cancer diagnosed. Tom Parson also gained a qualifying mark with 2.30 metres in the high jump. Marilyn Okoro won the keenly contested 800 metres, beating Jemma Simpson in 1min 59.81sec. Carl Myerscough, once banned for taking a cocktail of steroids, received his medal for winning the shot. Nobody booed.

Explore More Sport

• Athletics

• Boxing

• Cycling

• Sailing

• US Sport