Athletics: Edwards leaps to golden grand slam

England's master triple jumper shows competitive character to resist Odowu's challenge and complete set of all the major titles

Jonathan Edwards completed his set of major triple jump titles at the age of 36 last night, but not without receiving the shock of the new in the form of his bleach-blond English rival Phillips Idowu, who beat the Olympic, world and European champion for the first time in Sheffield at the end of last month.

For a while last night it looked as if the Londoner was going to achieve his big breakthrough as he bettered the Commonwealth Games record of 17.26 metres set in the second round by Leevan Sands, of the Bahamas, establishing a new mark of 17.68m, a personal best by 35 centimetres.

Was the éminence grise of the event about to be revealed as an old man? After a first-round effort of 16.26m, and a no jump in his second round, there was a clear hint of blood in the water and the sharks were round, biting.

Like all great competitors, Edwards needs competition to excel. Now he had it. And now he excelled, accelerating towards the pit with the commitment that allowed him to refigure the entire event with his efforts in 1985.

The roar as he hit the sand said enough. He had done it. And as he bounded out and wheeled away with both arms raised, for all the world like a footballer celebrating a winning goal, he knew it too.

It was 17.86m, surpassing his own best mark in the world this year of 17.78m.

As he returned to his mark, he passed the figure of Idowu, who finished fifth behind him in the Olympic final, drinking from a water bottle with apparent nonchalance. The water must have tasted bitter to Idowu – but his time will surely come very, very soon.

His jump energised the competition, as did his reaction. Having seen Edwards' face fall as the red flag raised on a second-round jump that looked as if it would have been worth around 17.50m, Idowu seized his moment. Afterwards, bounding out of the pit, he pulled down one of sides of his singlet to reveal a message on his chest which, sadly for the dramatic intention, was too dark to show up on the television screens.

Twelve years ago in Auckland, Edwards lost the Commonwealth title to a Cypriot jumper whom, he confessed, he did not even know. Four years later another surprise defeat saw him settle for silver.

But since he became the event's No 1 in his annus mirabilis of 1995, everything has come to him except this one title.

Now he has it – and with it, another confirmation that he is a competitor of the highest class.

Idowu, who managed another highly respectable effort of 17.25m as he attempted to follow Edwards' third-round flourish, had to settle for the silver medal, while Sands secured the bronze with an effort that he must have hoped would prove enough to take the title.

England's third representative, Tosin Oke, also had an evening to remember as he produced a personal best of 16.65m in fifth place.

There was gold elsewhere for England as another fine competitor reasserted his own qualities – Mick Jones taking the hammer event and saving his best until last, a huge effort of 72.55m.

Unwisely, the burly Briton attempted a forward roll on the infield by way of celebration. It did not come off – but neither he, nor his watching family, could have cared about that.

Philip Jensen, of New Zealand, took the silver with 69.48m, and Paul Head provided the host country with another reason to celebrate on a hugely successful night by earning bronze with 68.60m.

England's spectacular mishaps of Saturday night were unhappily relived last night as Natasha Danvers, clear in the bronze medal position in the 400m hurdles, fell at the final hurdle, finally jogging home a despondent and dispirited last in a painful time of 1min 27.12sec.

It was a sad reprise of the spectacle which saw Dwain Chambers and Mark Lewis-Francis hit the deck in the 100 metres final.

The gold went to Australia's world junior champion, Jana Pittman, who won in 54.40sec, with silver going to Debbie-Ann Parris of Jamaica. Pittman's task was made easier by the absence of Jamaica's Deon Hemmings, the Olympic gold and silver medallist respectively in the last two Games, who did not start in lane six. Earlier in the day, Lisa Kehler won her third Commonwealth medal in 12 years in the 20km walk, taking silver behind Jane Saville, the Australian who was disqualified on the brink of winning an Olympic gold in Sydney. The 35-year-old Birmingham doctor and mother-of-two is now making well-earned plans for retirement.