Evora leaps to glory in Men's Triple Jump

  2008-08-21 15:45:20 GMT    2008-08-21 23:45:20 (Beijing Time)    BOCOG

  (BEIJING August 21) -- Nelson Evora won Portugal's first Olympic Games Triple Jump gold medal with a 17.67 meter leap. Behind him, Phillips Idowu of Great Britain won silver and Leevan Sands of the Bahamas took bronze.

  All three medalists produced their best jumps of the season. Idowu leapt 17.62m and Sands set a national record of 17.59m.

  Evora, the 2007 world champion, landed the winning jump on his fourth attempt, having led the competition with his second effort of 17.56m before Idowu took the lead with his third jump of 17.62m.

  The exuberant Idowu, 2008 World Indoor Champion, treated the crowd to a little dance after moving into fourth place, but he was unable to improve in the final three attempts.

  Sands returned to the form that took him to bronze at the 2003 world championships, recording his medal-winning distance on his third attempt.

  Evora's gold is Portugal's first of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

  Marian Oprea of Romania, who won silver at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games and bronze at the 2005 World Championships, finished in fifth on 17.22m.