Olsson motivated by rare defeat

World triple jump champion Christian Olsson believes his shock defeat in Stockholm last week has lifted pressure on him at the Athens Olympics.

Olsson, who had racked up 29 consecutive victories in 17 months, was beaten in his homeland by Romanian Marian Oprea but says it has given him extra motivation.

"My motivation shot through the roof after my defeat last week," Olsson said ahead of the Zurich meeting, where he will meet Oprea again as well as American Melvin Lister, who has the longest jump this year.

"I am focused like never before," added the 24-year-old who is still in the hunt for the $1 million Golden League jackpot.

"I think as a result of the defeat there is a little less pressure on me.

"There can be no more talk of my winning streak. Even in Sweden I am no longer a gold medal certainty anymore. I am now a gold medal hope.

"Okay, I am not unbeatable, I can be beaten which means it can happen in the Olympic Games also, so I have to do even more to make myself better, and that is now my new motivation.

"I am now training again like I was number two in the world rather than number one. There is a hunger back."

Olsson has dominated the triple jump since the retirement of Briton Jonathan Edwards and was regarded as one of the certainties for gold in Athens.

The world indoor record holder lost out by two centimetres when Oprea won in Stockholm with a jump of 17.30 metres.

Lister has set the best jump this year with 17.78 to Olsson's season best of 17.61.