Eunice Barber wins the long jump final (© Getty Images)
For the wildly enthusiastic and often times deafening crowds at the Stade de France this week, the first gold medal for the host country could not have been delivered in more dramatic fashion. Nor could it have come from an athlete more deserving.
Eunice Barber, the country's best all-around athlete, delivered a 6.99 final round leap to surpass Tatyana Kotova for the seal the win.
"It was spectacular!" she said, summing up her final effort in her final competition of the year in front of her home crowd.
In the Heptathlon last weekend, Barber waged a strong battle against eventual winner Carolina Kluft of Sweden, but had to settle for silver. In the Long Jump, she fought just as valiantly, but had to dig deep to deliver the knock out blow.
"My coach said I could jump seven metres," she said. "And the crowd deserved it. So I had to do it. They kept me in it. They helped me incredibly."
It was a seasonal best for the 28 year old from Reims, and her farthest jump since 1999.
I didn't think about technique," she said of her last attempt. "I had nothing to lose. I just gave it all up."
She said she watched her teammates race to the gold in the 400m relay, giving France their second gold just eight minutes later.
"I knew they were going to win because someone told me that today was women's day for France."
Controlling her emotions was difficult in the Stade, she said. "It's a dream come true and it will stay in my heart forever."
