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Brazilian Maurren Higa Maggi won the Olympic women's long jump gold medal by one centimetre from defending champion Tatyana Lebedeva of Russia.

To read more about the three track finals, the decathlon and 50km walk, click on the links under the photo!!

Maggi, 32, recorded a best jump of 7.04 metres on the first of her six attempts and had to watch nervously as Lebedeva, also the world champion, leapt 7.03 with her last effort to take the silver.

The bronze medal went to Nigeria's Blessing Okagbare with 6.91, 21 centimetres more than her previous best.

Okagbare had initially failed to make the final when she finished 13th in qualifying but was promoted into the top 12 when Ukraine's heptathlon silver medallist Lyudmila Blonska was kicked out of the Games for a doping offence.

"This is the biggest miracle of my life, God has brought so many miracles but this is the greatest one," said Okagbare.

"I was so disappointed I did not make it. During the qualification it was like it was not me jumping. Something was wrong. And, yesterday when I got the call I was in the final I knew God had something in there for me."

Portugal's world indoor champion Naide Gomes failed to qualify for the final, and Sweden's Carolina Kluft, who won the heptathlon gold medal in Athens, finished only ninth.

"It wasn't that good today, my run-up was not working," Kluft said. "I didn't get the speed over the board and when I don't get the speed I cannot jump far."

Maggi, who holds the South American records for long jump and 100 hurdles, did not compete for two years after failing a doping test at the 2003 Pan American Games. She said the positive test came from a hair removal product she had been using.

Married to ex-Brazilian Formula One driver Antonio Pizzonia, Maggi gave birth to a daughter shortly after missing the Athens Olympics and said her victory vindicated her decision to make a comeback.

"You know what, doping happens. It was a bad accident for me," she said. "I knew I still had things to do. I wanted to come back and compete in track and field.

"Things gradually change: today I come back with the gold - it's unbelievable."

Lebedeva, who also won a silver in the triple jump in Beijing, was inconsolable after her narrow defeat.

"After the last attempt I cried 'why, why, why?' I didn't want to be in this [second] place but sport is beautiful.

"Here in the Olympics it's coincidence of luck. Maggi got all the luck today."

MEN'S POLE VAULT

Steve Hooker of Australia set an Olympic record of 5.96 metres to win the gold medal.

The 26-year-old Commonwealth champion won the competition when he vaulted 5.90m at his third attempt. He then went on to break American Tim Mack's previous Olympic record of 5.95m set at the Athens Games in 2004.

It was the first track and field gold medal for the Australian men's team since Ralph Doubell won the 800m at the 1968 Mexico Games.

Russian Evgeny Lukyanenko claimed silver with 5.85m and Ukraine's Denys Yurchenko won bronze with 5.70m on countback.

"The whole competition was mentally and physically the hardest thing I've done in my life," said Hooker. It was more like boxing than pole vault.

"I was close to missing 5.80m but I made the big jumps when it counted."

Hooker said that setting an Olympic record had not been his goal.

"I'm just happy to put it together when it counts," he said. "I didn't care if I jumped an Olympic record or 5.50m. It's all about winning out here.

"However, the Olympic record is really special to me. Tim Mack is a really good friend of mine."

Hooker acknowledged that he had done his nerves no favours by leaving himself until the third attempt at several heights.

"I can't believe it. I was not expecting to see more 'O's than 'X's on my scorecard.

"I didn't expect to be there on my third attempt, and to do it three times, it's very draining.

"I should have skipped the second jumps altogether. They were not working for me. I should have gone straight to the third."

MEN'S 4x400 METRES

In the semi-finals, Angelo Taylor led the United States home in the first race as Russia, Belgium, Australia and Poland - the latter pair as fastest losers - also moved safely through.

Great Britain quartet Andrew Steele, Robert Tobin, Michael Bingham and Martyn Rooney - finalist in the 400 individual - easily won the second heat ahead of the Bahamas and Jamaica. There were no fastest losers in that race.

WOMEN'S 4x400 METRES

In the heats, Britain suffered a scare as individual Olympic champion Christine Ohuruogu fell from second to third on the final leg - and was almost overtaken for the final automatic qualifying place by Germany. Russia were easy winners from Cuba while Germany ultimately went through to the final as a fastest loser.

Sanya Richards finished the second semi-final for a United States victory from Jamaica and Belarus, with Nigeria in fourth the other fastest loser.

The performance was a welcome boost for a flailing US track and field team which had seen both its 100 relay teams fail to pass the baton cleanly to their respective anchors on Thursday.

Reuters