It takes Dwight Phillips 68 steps to walk down the runway toward his start point.
Once there, he stands facing the sand pit with his feet close together.
After a long pause, he moves his right foot slightly ahead of his left.
His arms snap into precise 90-degree angles at his side. He leans back and sways on his heels before lowering his head and sprinting down the pathway.
After slapping his foot on the board, he catapults into the air, landing feet-first into the pit.
"You're hitting the middle third of your run in a better sprint position," ASU track and field coach Greg Kraft says to Phillips.
Phillips unties his silver and gold shoes, shakes them out and slaps them against each other. He laces them back on and continues to jump, taking a break between sets to talk with Kraft about his technique — what he's doing right and what he's doing wrong.
After wrapping up his training session, he walks from the long jump area to where high jump practice is taking place. He keeps to himself, watching from a short distance as he stretches his legs.
He says he likes to watch practice. He'll add his advice when needed but coaching isn't for him.
"I want to train at such a high level, and I know that every individual is different. And I wouldn't expect the kids to train at the level I train at," Phillips said. "I don't think that's fair."
That commitment and desire to train has enabled Phillips to become a decorated champion since graduating from ASU in 2000.
Phillips, 30, remained at ASU for an additional four years after graduation to train at the school's facilities, but once he packed away his maroon and gold attire, he consistently began to don the red, white and blue, bringing home accolade after accolade.
He won Olympic gold in 2004 and is a two-time World Outdoor Champion and a three-time USA Outdoor Champion.
He's only returned once to ASU since leaving in 2004, so it was time for a reunion.
"It's been awhile," he said.
Phillips arrived in town last Thursday and will depart Saturday. He came back to Sun Angel Stadium with the intention of training.
Phillips raced in the 29th Sun Angel Track Classic this past weekend, winning the long jump and 100-meter dash.
"It was fun to see the new guys that are emerging," he said.
In addition to the competition, enjoying Arizona's spring climate persuaded Phillips to revisit his old stomping grounds.
The "steaming hot weather" is a nice change from the cold and rain at home in Atlanta, he said. His wife, Valerie, and his two sons, Dwight Jr., 2, and Elijah, 1, are there, and despite having business to take care of here in Phoenix, he said he can't wait to get back to see his children.
"They're the best two gold medals I've ever had in my life," he said.
But the weather and picturesque training backdrop weren't the only reasons why Phillips traveled back to the desert. He wanted to congratulate the men's and women's teams for sweeping the indoor championships and provide a "pep talk" for matching the feat in the outdoor season.
"The team did a spectacular job," Phillips said. "I wanted to go and see what type of kids they were, and, obviously, they are just as good as people as they are as track athletes."
He also wanted to spend some time with Kraft.
After all, it was Kraft who had a hand in making Phillips the star he is today.
"Nobody believed that I could be as good as I was except for him — maybe my mom and dad — and myself," Phillips said. "He really helped me mentally and physically. He knew that I was capable of winning a championship. He molded that into my mind, and I forever held onto it. And that dream became reality."
After eight years, Phillips notices a change in the track program.
"The team has definitely developed," Phillips said. "They're more unified. They're together. They're all wearing ASU T-shirts during training. After training, they do a big chant. That was something that was new, and I think that those small things help the athletes perform for each other, perform for the team better."
Although he's not on the roster anymore, Phillips said he is able to enjoy the success brimming from the current squad.
"It's fun to just watch the team develop and knowing I played a part in kids' wanting to come to Arizona State for track and field, and that right there alone means a lot to me," he said.
With the Beijing Olympics only months away, Phillips said he's focusing on staying healthy and will jump in a few competitions in Europe leading up to the U.S. Trials.
"Ultimately, my goal is to win the Olympic gold again, but it's always been my dream to break that world record," he said.
To help work toward that dream, Phillips began working with coach Tom Tellez last year. Tellez has experience working with athletes like Carl Lewis who have come close to eclipsing the record. But if Phillips had to choose, Olympic gold would trump a spot as No. 1 in the record books.
"The records are always going to be broken," he said, "but you can never take anybody's name out of that Olympic champion book."
The feeling of what it's like to achieve that elite level of accomplishment is something Phillips has tried to relate to current Sun Devil athletes, explaining to them what it takes to be a champion.
"When I go to the competition, all eyes are on me," he said. "All my competitors are looking at every step I take, what I eat, what I drink. I like it, and that's what it is, and that's how it's going to be when you're at the top."
Recognition for being a true champion is the legacy Phillips wants and is the motivation that keeps him jumping toward another medal, another championship and another record.
"I don't want to be just remembered as a good athlete. I want to be remembered as one of the greats," he said. "That's why I compete. I have a lot of desire to be the very best at what I do, and I would like to be remembered for it."
Reach the reporter at: sarah.mclellan@asu.edu.
