Silnov jumping for joy after win

Beijing: A month ago Russian high jumper Andrey Silnov was dejected after failing to make his country's Olympic team but on Tuesday he was beaming after winning gold.

A jump of 2.36 metres secured Silnov victory while Britain's Germaine Mason took silver, his country's first athletics medal at the Beijing Games, and Russia's Yaroslav Rybakov took bronze.

Sweden's Stefan Holm, the gold medal winner in Athens four years ago, finished fourth after failing to jump more than 2.32.

Holm, 32, had said he intended to retire if he retained the Olympic title, and he will be disappointed to have failed to have at least made the podium.

Failed to qualify

European champion Silnov finished fourth in Russia's national championships in Kazan and failed to make the squad for Beijing.

He was only included after a new personal best jump of 2.38 in London later in the month.

"My performance (in the national championship) wasn't very good.

"I don't want to go back to that time. I did have some issues, but then I corrected myself. This is why I was able to make such a performance today," he said.

"This is a great result for me and for my country," he said.

The Russian added that he was saddened that Holm missed out on a medal.

Silnov opted to continue jumping, with a possible eye on the 15-year-old world record of 2.45 metres, but failed in his three attempts to clear 2.42.

With a pudding-bowl, 1970's style haircut and an ice-cold expression, Silnov, the son of a miner, looked like he had walked straight out of a cold-war movie.

But his face lit up in delight once he knew he had gold.

After taking a victory lap, he stopped to observe compatriot Yelena Isinbayeva's tearful medal ceremony for her victory in Monday's pole vault.