Lebedeva crushes rivals for triple jump gold

Russia's Tatyana Lebedeva unleashed a massive season best jump with her opening effort on Friday, easily claiming the women's triple jump world title by more than a half-metre.

Lebedeva, sporting a haircut bleached in the colours of the Russian flag -- white, blue and red -- quickly threw down the guantlet to her competition as she sailed to a season best 15.11 metres on her first jump.

The gold medal secure, the Russian then closed out the competition in stunning fashion laying down the fourth longest ever triple jump of 15.25 metres.

"After the qualification jumps I expected the competition to get closer," said Lebedeva. "But as the competition continued I could tell the others were performing as well as expected and that could have been because of a headwind.

"I dedicated my last attempt to the spectators who stayed to support me.

"I felt light and relaxed and the jump was long."

Cameroon's Francoise Mbango Etone finished a distant second over a half-metre back of Lebedeva, but her jump of 14.60 was good enough to take the silver ahead of Olympic champion Tereza Marinova of Bulgaria on 14.58.

"I don't think it has sunk in yet," said Lebedeva, silver medallist at the Sydney Olympics. "It will take a few days I think before I really understand what has happened."

The gold medal ended a long period of frustration for Lebedeva, who failed to meet her goals at the 1999 world championships and the Sydney Olympics.

"I was fourth in the 1999 worlds and that was a huge disappointment," said Lebedeva. "And then the silver in Sydney was also disappointing.

"I was so upset after the championships in Seville that I had a breakdown.

"But every large competition gives you new experience.

"You learn how to make adjustments and propel yourself.

"Even today I learned something and at my next big competition that will also help me."