Sport 26-09-2000 Edwards Takes Triple Jump Gold who: Triple jumper Jonathan Edwards what: Wins Olympic gold medal where: Sydney when: Yesterday snippet: "An Olympic crowd of just over 112,000, the largest in the history of the modern games, witnessed another successful night for Great Britain," writes The Guardian`s Vivek Chaudhary from Sydney, "the highlight of which was a gold medal for Jonathan Edwards in the triple jump." In his last appearance at the Olympic Games, 34 year-old Edwards from Gateshead produced a 17.71 metre jump to beat second place Yoel Garcia from Cuba (17.47m) and and Russia`s Denis Kapustin third (17.46m). "As the triple jump built towards its defining moment," says John Sadler in The Sun, "there was bedlam in the arena". During the event, Aussie hero Cathy Freeman won the gold medal for the women`s 400 metres and US star Michael Johnson retained his gold medal in the men`s 400. "I was very nervous beforehand and there were constant disruptions with medal ceremonies and other races going on," he said afterwards. "I thought my best chance of winning would be in Atlanta. Now here I am in Sydney four years later, 34 years old and winning the gold medal. I still can`t really put together what I`ve done." "Within two minutes of completing a lap of honour Edwards was on the telephone to his wife at home in Gosforth," says The Telegraph. "She had gone for a workout in their local gym, unable to bear the tension of watching her husband on television". Britain`s medal tally is now the nation`s best since Melbourne in 1956. [... more]

What The Papers Say is delivered to thousands of readers every morning by web, WAP and email. Sign up today!