Athletics: Johnson's leap in class ends 40 years of failure

Jade Johnson, one of the fastest talkers you will ever meet south of the Thames, was rendered almost mute here last night by the shock of earning a European long jump silver medal behind Russia's Tatyana Kotova and beating the legendary German Heike Drechsler on her home territory.

"I can't believe it," said the 21-year-old Herne Hill Harrier whose glamorous looks and 6ft 1in frame have seen her feature in photo-shoots with men's magazines. "I cannot believe it. All I wanted when I came here was a personal best, so I don't believe I'm coming away with a medal. These are the best class jumpers in the world. I'm speechless, and that's definitely not Jade Johnson."

It was evident right from the start of yesterday's competition, however, that the real Jade Johnson was present and correct at the long jump pit to do battle with a field that included eight athletes who had jumped further than her.

Among those opponents were Kotova, who leads this year's rankings with a massive 7.42 metres, and the 37-year-old home favourite and reigning Olympic champion, who was seeking a record fifth successive European long jump title. Drechsler, who won her first world title in 1983 when Johnson was three years old, was unable to rediscover anything of the form which once saw her record 7.48m, just four centimetres off the world record, and eventually had to settle for fifth place with 6.64m and an almighty reception from a crowd of around 35,000.

"I watched Heike the whole time," Johnson said. "I like her, but she was obviously out of form."

The British jumper, who had won a Commonwealth silver the previous Sunday week with an effort of 6.58m, fell below that standard only once in a sequence of jumps which saw her make two improvements to the personal best of 6.69m she brought into this final.

After Kotova had established a lead she never lost with her first-round effort of 6.78m, Johnson – intermittently looking up to the stand to consult with her coach, John Herbert, the former British triple jumper – took over the silver position with 6.66m and improved to 6.72m with her second jump.

The fifth round saw the Russian extend her lead with her winning distance of 6.85m, while both Johnson and Tunde Vaszi reached out to 6.73m. Johnson – who was bedridden as a 15-year-old after growing five inches in one year – got the silver ahead of the Hungarian because her second-furthest effort was better than Vaszi's 6.57m.

It was the first European long jump medal earned by a British woman since Mary Rand in 1962. Two years later, Rand went on to win the Olympic title, and while it would be unfair to put such a pressure of expectation on last year's European Under-23 champion, there will surely be more riches to come from her in future years.

"I tried to stay relaxed and keep my head," said Johnson, who has an unusual problem for a long jumper – she is allergic to sand, which brings her out in red blotches. Last night, however, it was a small price to pay for an experience she will never forget.