Tatyana Lebedeva, the woman who was favourite to win the Olympic Triple Jump title earlier in the week, tonight secured a gold medal for herself and led Russia to a clean sweep of the medals.

All the definitive action occurred in the first two rounds, when following a first-round foul by Lebedeva, her team mates Irina Simigina and Tatyana Kotova jumped consecutively, and each managed 7.05 metres to take the early lead.

At this stage, Anju Bobby George was in the bronze medal position after improving her Indian national record by 11cm, to 6.83m.

Marion Jones, bronze medal-winner four years ago in Sydney, after a first-round foul, jumped herself into third at the start of round two, with 6.85. It would remain her best effort of the night, and would soon be eclipsed by Lebedeva, whose 7.07 would rule the day, making her the first Russian woman ever to win the Olympic long jump title (Soviets had won the gold medal in the past, but neither were from Russia).

That Simigina managed 7.02 in the second round meant that the medal placings were determined there and then, with Kotova given bronze because she was unable to better her team mate’s second-best effort.

Thus Russia achieved the fourth event medal sweep of these Games, and the first ever in this event.

Qualifying for Friday’s women’s Olympic Long Jump final was something of a curate’s egg: good in parts. But for some, it was a pretty awful experience.

Three World champions - Eunice Barber (6.37), from France, Fiona May (6.38), of Italy, and, with three no jumps, Spain’s Niurka Montello - all failed to achieve the 6.65 metres automatic qualifying distance.

Ten jumpers did manage 6.65 or better, though, including Russia’s Tatyana Lebedeva, looking none the worse for her unexpected defeat in the Triple Jump earlier in the week as she cleared 6.95m with her first jump.

Others who only needed one effort to go through included Tatyana Kotova (6.79), India’s Bobby George (6.75) and Sweden’s new Olympic Heptathlon champion, Carolina Kluft (6.73).

But there were numerous fouls, especially in the first round, and with the crowd in tumult during the second round as the women’s 400m Hurdles final took place, some long jumpers found it hard to concentrate.

Not Marion Jones, the United States champion and Long Jump bronze medallist at the Sydney Games, who cleared 6.70, despite taking off well back off the board.

“The first jump was a big jump but I just fouled a little bit,” Jones said. “I then just wanted to make a safe jump on the second.”

“I think my speed has improved, so now that I’ve qualified, maybe I can medal.”