By Ian Gordon, PA Sport, Munich

Ashia Hansen produced another astonishing last-round effort to snatch triple jump gold at the European Championships in Munich on Saturday.

The 31-year-old had been trailing from the first round after Finland's Heli Koivulu produced a massive personal best jump of 14.83metres.

But Hansen - as she did in the Commonwealth Games in Manchester - triumphed with a season's best leap of 15.00m with her sixth and final jump.

Hansen, with a cuddly tiger again marking her start-off point on the runway, cried tears of joy afterwards after completing a golden double in the space of a couple of weeks.

"When Heli got in that big jump it was a jolt for everyone," said Hansen. "But it was still early in the competition so I knew there was still time.

"But I was trying to hard for four rounds and putting so much pressure on myself so for the final jump I just relaxed.

"I thought my winning jump was a no jump and I was going to abort it but at the last minute decided to carry on.

"In the fifth round my jump was even bigger and I only virtually touched the plasticene. It is so good to win here after everything that has happened.

"I can now put that behind me. After what's happened in my private life and all the injuries my career might not have taken off.

"Seriously, I am now on the comeback trail. And I have proved here and at the Commonwealth Games that I am a real competitor."

Hansen, born in the United States but adopted at three months by an English woman and her Ghanaian husband, saw her private life in turmoil when a former boyfriend, Chris Cotter, was jailed for perjury after faking a racist attack on himself outside her home.

The Birmingham-based jumper's form suffered during the ensuing court case and Cotter's attempts to sell the story while she was also struck by a succession of injuries.

But she has returned to the form that brought her the world indoor record in 1998 and has proved with her final round triumphs that she can handle the pressure.

Hansen once sought out the British team's sport psychologist after being questioned about her form in a press conference.