REIGNING champion Jonathan Edwards last night predicted that Great Britain have a ready-made replacement to claim the Olympic triple jump crown when he finally retires.

The 37-year-old Gateshead Harrier will finally bring an end to a highly-successful athletics career after the Athens games in 2004.

But Edwards is convinced that Team GB already have an heir to his throne in 24-year-old Phillips Idowu.

Idowu is already ranked fifth in the world and came close to beating the elder-statesman in the Commonwealth Games last summer.

And Edwards believes the Belgrave Harrier is the perfect man to follow in his footsteps when he decides to call it a day.

"I think Phillips is incredibly talented and he is definitely an Olympic champion in the making," said Edwards, who set the current 18.29m triple jump world record in Gothenburg back in 1996.

"Over the last couple of years when I have been going into a competition I have been very much aware of his presence. He is very, very talented.

"We saw in the European Championships and the Commonwealth Games just what he is capable of. He was only a whisker away from beating me in Manchester.

"I feel with Phillips that I am a target, something that stimulates him.

"When I do retire he may flourish but I think he gains a lot of energy from working towards beating me."

Edwards knows that if Idowu is to fulfil his great potential he will have to overcome Sweden's Christian Olsson, who currently tops the global rankings list.

Olsson, lined up to face the British pair when the Norwich Union Super League returns to the Gateshead International Stadium on July 13, has done nothing but impress Edwards.

And the Englishman admits that the 22-year-old Scandinavian is perfectly placed to have a similar impact to that which he has enjoyed over the past eight years.

"If I'm honest I would prefer not to jump against Christian in my first meeting out," said Edwards, who has been struggling recently with an infection. "He's a good pal as well as being a major competitor but I'm also looking forward to Paris (World Championships) in August and jumping against him there."

When Gateshead welcomes athletics stars from across the globe next month, it could be the final time Edwards competes on his home patch; there has been no announcement as to whether the Tyneside track will host the Super League meeting next year.

If it doesn't, the former Durham University student is hoping to go out on a high note in front of his own supporters next month.

"I will make a decision about retirement based on performances," he said. "My aspiration is to jump at Athens next year, so a lot depends on whether there is a meeting at Gateshead next year.

"I'm not going to approach it as my last meeting at Gateshead. I don't want to do that particularly. If I'm in fifth place going into my last jump I might do!"

And looking towards his swanswong event in Athens, he said: "It would be very nice to go out as champion. It's not something I'm worried about.

"I've won the Olympics, I have won two World Championships and, albeit for a couple of weeks, I held all the outdoor titles as well as holding the world record.

"That is more than I thought I could ever have achieved. When I first jumped 16m I had no idea I could achieve what I have done."

* Tickets are available for the Super League meeting at Gateshead on July 13 by telephoning 0870 444 4440.