By David Martin, PA International, Paris

Eunice Barber produced a magnificent last-round leap to win the world long jump title in the Stade de France.

The host nation's crowd has provided massive support for French contestants during the championships and nothing matched the decibel ratings when Barber cleared a huge 6.99m with the second last jump of the competition.

It proved to be enough to secure France's first track and field gold medal of the championships.

Until her leap of a lifetime, Barber was lying second on countback to last year's European champion Tatyana Kotova.

She and the Russian had second round clearances of 6.74m under their belts, but Kotova had produced two superior supporting jumps.

India's Anju Bobby George, matched the bronze-medal she claimed in last year's Commonwealth Games.