Phillips Idowu's chances of success in the triple jump improved considerably after Olympic champion Christian Olsson was forced to pull out of the World Championships in Osaka.

The Swede, who was forced to miss the championships two years ago in Helsinki through injury, had been battling to regain his fitness but has succumbed to a hamstring problem.

Olsson had been in brilliant form this summer, emphatically winning the Paris and Rome Golden League meetings, but he contracted a problem in the latter which restricted his preparations to challenge for the global crown he won four years ago in Paris.

Olsson's non-appearance at Sweden's top meeting, the DN Galan Grand Prix on August 7, and the Swedish Championships nine days ago, clearly indicated the seriousness of the injury.

The news will serve to encourage Olsson's rivals including Idowu who had a successful start to the season, winning the title at the Oslo Golden League meeting with a jump of 17.35metres.

However, the Commonwealth champion later aggravated a back injury at the Norwich Union World Championship Trials and UK Championships which has restricted his season but the Londoner was determined to compete in Japan.