Great Britain's Phillips Idowu

TRIPLE JUMPER Phillips Idowu has received a boost in his attempt to win Olympic gold after defending champion Nelson Evora pulled out of qualifying for the Games due to injury.

The Portuguese athlete suffered a recurrence of a fractured tibia while warming up for trials in Lisbon on Wednesday.

However, Idowu, who wished his rival a speedy recovery, said he was disappointed that Evora would not be competing in London.

Idowu, who would have been one of Evora’s chief rivals for gold, said on Twitter: “I wish him a speedy recovery.

“Nelson Evora’s injury is in no way good news for me. I want to compete and win against the best.”

Evora, who won World Championship gold in 2007, had surgery on the same injury in 2010 and that ruled him out of action for a year.

But despite the severity of the injury, Evora ruled out retiring from the sport.

“Given the necessary recovery time, it is out of the question to take part in the next Olympic Games,” Evora, 27, said.

“Don’t anyone think this injury means that I’m finished. I have a lot of competitions ahead of me,” said Evora, who beat Idowu to Olympic gold in Beijing by just five centimetres.

“I feel mentally strong and now my priority is to heal myself to return.

“The crack that was heard was a recurrence of the injury I had previously contracted, though not as severe as previously thought.”