Tyneside'S favourite adopted son, Jonathan Edwards, delighted a rain-soaked near-10,000 crowd at Gateshead International Stadium with a comfortable, if unspectacular, victory in the Norwich Union Classic.

The 35-year-old Gateshead Harrier, who added the World championship to his Olympic crown in Edmonton, attracted a barrage of photographers in front of the main stand as he used an extended run up - but there was to be no inspirational performance on his return to his home track.

Conditions were far from ideal but the world record holder quickly earned applause as he went into the lead with his modest opening jump of 16.84m, beating Italian Paulo Camossi's first effort of 16.38.

Edwards, who produced a winning leap of 19.92m in Canada to regain the world crown, improved to 17.14m on his second charge down the runway.

Electing to pass in the third round, Edwards mistimed his approach on his final attempt and ran through the sand pit - but his earlier effort assured him of victory.

Britain's 26-year-old Larry Achike took second place with a third round 16.96m, his only legal jump.

A satisfied Edwards said: "It's great to be back home.

"It's always a shock to the system, the first competition after a major championships, so I haven't done a lot of training and I haven't been very disciplined since I have been back.

"It was my first event since coming back from Edmonton so I have had a little bit of a rest."

There was a brief glimpse of sunshine after a morning of steady rain and the Tyneside crowd warmed to the efforts of Great Britain's Steve Backley, who bounced back with a last-gasp winning performance after failing to reach the final in Canada.

Backley, whose father John was an 800m runner for Newcastle club Elswick Harriers in the 1960s, had also finished a disappointing seventh in Friday's Golden League meeting in Zurich with a best throw of only 81.92m.

The British No 1 quickly showed he was in much better form, opening with a throw of 84.33 to move into second place behind world junior world record holder Harri Haatainen of Finland, who opened with a personal-best 86.63m.

Finland's World Championships silver-medallist behind Jan Zelezny, Aki Parvianen, pushed Backley into third place with a third round 86.46m and the odds looked stacked against the Briton.

Backley produced a consistent series of 83m efforts but his last throw was his best - dramatically snatching the lead with 86.74m.

It was Backley's best throw since his 90.81m in the Norwich Union British Grand Prix at Crystal Palace.

A relieved Backley said: "I feel I have put the World Championships to bed with that throw.

"But it is frustrating - any one of my five throws here would have qualified me for the final in Edmonton.

"I threw 81m in Edmonton, 81m in Zurich and if I threw 81m every week I would stop.

"But today I have beaten one of the best in the world and as long as I can keep doing that I will keep on throwing."

The winning effort brought an appreciative ovation from the crowd, but spectators had been disappointed with the news before the women's 400m hurdles that newly-crowned World champion, Morocco's Nezha Bidouane, was a non-starter and the race went to the USA's Tanja Buford-Bailey, fourth in Edmonton, who produced a late burst to overhaul fellow countrywoman Sandra Glover in 54.77sec.

The Ukraine's Zhanna Pintusevich-Block, who came up with the shock of the World Championships by beating hot favourite Marion Jones, was fourth behind the American in Zurich and had to be satisfied with second place at Gateshead, being pipped by Ekaterini Thanou, of Greece.

The intermittent rain ceased briefly for the men's 100m, which was won by the USA's Tim Montgomery, who had a terrific duel with Great Britain's Dwain Chambers before triumphing in 10.27.

Chambers said: "If the wind speed was zero that's the fastest 10.31 I have ever run."

Almost eight years since he set his world record of 12.91sec Great Britain's Colin Jackson continued to struggle in the 110m hurdles, finishing a disappointing fourth (13.68sec) behind winner Larry Wade, of the USA, who clocked 13.5sec.

World half marathon and cross country champion Paula Radcliffe took no chances in the women's 3000m, bursting into the lead with three laps remaining and steadily extending her lead to win by 60m in 8min 42.47sec. Kelly Holmes made it a double for Great Britain, winning the 800m by nearly 10m in 1:58.10