Jonathan Edwards won silver at the World Indoor Championships in Lisbon with a last-round jump of 17.26 metres and admitted he had paid the price for not making the event one of his top priorities.

Favourite for gold after posting a huge leap of 17.60m last month and winning all but the first of his five competitions this winter, the Olympic champion was given the shock of his life by Paolo Camossi.

Camossi arrived in Lisbon with a personal indoor best of 17.05m, an Italian record which earned him last year's European bronze medal.

But yesterday he stunned the 12-man field in the fourth round with a leap of 17.32m to take gold.

''He hit everything right, got in the big one when it mattered. That's how it goes and I'm pleased for Paolo, he's the baby of the family,'' said Edwards of his 27-year-old rival, who could not believe everything in his technique fell perfectly into place on the day it mattered most.

The lead changed hands four times and Edwards, the world outdoor record holder, added: ''Yes, it was exciting, but probably more exciting for Paolo than for me. He won and best of luck to the guy for getting it right.''

Edwards only committed himself to the championships after his massive leap in southern Russia at the beginning of February made him hungry for more competition, and felt on reflection he should have made the meeting a higher priority.

''I think there were five above it on my list,'' said the Gateshead Harrier. ''But I've been treating the indoor season as one where I could have fun. It's been a nice bridge for me since Sydney.

''On reflection I should have paid more attention to the meeting, but the way I've jumped indoors has let me know I am in good shape going into the summer season.''

Edwards, sixth when he last contested these championships in 1993, started steadily and jumps of 17.06m and 17.12m saw him lead after two rounds.

But then the competition, viewed by a half-empty arena and not televised live because of its low-key slot in the timetable, erupted as the jumpers came to grips with the Atlantic Stadium's runway.

In round three defending champion Charles Friedek showed he had shrugged off a thigh injury which threatened his participation. The only man to have beaten Edwards this year moved into pole position with a season's best 17.13m.

Andrew Murphy, 31, increased the 23-year-old Australian record of 16.97m by 18 centimetres in the fourth round. He cleared 17.20m in the last round for third place.

Camossi was making his debut in the event and, after his winning leap, told Edwards: ''You're still the best - number one in the world.''

Edwards was lying fourth and admitted: ''My legs were getting tired and I couldn't raise enough speed as the raised boards on the runway were not helpful. I thought I was done for.''

But with his final attempt Edwards found enough flat speed to save his reputation and climb back into second place and pocket £15,000 prize money.

On the track Christian Malcolm is only one race away from being acknowledged as one of the world's leading 200m runners.

The 21-year-old, an Olympic finalist last year and winner of the European Indoor title 12 months ago in Ghent, has already successfully bridged the sometimes very tough transition into the senior ranks.

Tonight Malcolm will bid for his first world senior title.

After two preliminary rounds the signs clearly point to the Cardiff athlete fetching a medal of some description home to the Principality.

If he strikes gold, the medal would be the same as that on by fellow Welshman Colin Jackson in the 60m hurdles in Maebashi two years ago.

Malcolm seemed to struggle to win his semi-final by a hundredth-of-a-second in 20.76secs the quickest of the three rounds ahead of Patrick van Balkom.

But he explained: ''I stubbed my foot but I'm okay. It's early to bed for me tonight."

Results - Women - 60m hurdles 1st Semi-final: 1 N Ramalalanirina (Fra) 7.95sec, 2 S Laukhova (Rus) 7.98, 3 A Kirkland (USA) 8.00, 4 L Golding (Jam) 8.04, 5 I Lenskaya (Isr) 8.07, 6 Y Neyra (Cub) 8.09, 7 I Abrantes (Por) 8.14, 8 N Faustin (Hai) 8.24

2nd Semi-final: 1 O Shishigina (Kaz) 7.90sec, 2 M Freeman (Jam) 7.95, 3 B Grant (USA) 8.03, 4 L Ferga (Fra) 8.06, 5 J Sprenger (Ger) 8.13, 6 O Ovcharova-Krasovska (Ukr) 8.15, 7 S Gendzilov (Isr) 8.28, 8 M Wilkins (Gbr) 8.30

3000m 1st semi-final: 1 Y Zadorozhnaya (Rus) 9min 01.04sec, 2 B Willis (Aus) 9:01.55, 3 M Dominguez (Spa) 9:01.62, 4 Y Dong (Chn) 9:02.09, 5 H Parry-Tullett (Gbr) 9:02.23, 6 C Goddard-Kenah (USA) 9:02.24, 7 E Buhaianu-Jagar (Rom) 9:08.46, 8 S Lopes (Cpv) 11:37.38, Dnf: M Bastos (Por)

2nd semi-final: 1 S O'Sullivan (Irl) 8:55.79, 2 G Szabo (Rom) 8:55.84, 3 O Yegorova (Rus) 8:55.97, 4 R Jacobs (USA) 8:56.92, 5 A Leghzaoui (Mar) 8:56.97, 6 K Butler (Gbr) 8:58.60, 7 W Kidane (Eth) 8:59.42, 8 MC Petite (Spa) 9:06.49, 9 L Ji (Chn) 9:06.78, 10 H Iakovou (Gre) 9:12.15

Men - Triple Jump Final: 1 P Camossi (Ita) 17.32m, 2 J Edwards (Gbr) 17.26, 3 A Murphy (Aus) 17.20, 4 C Friedek (Ger) 17.13, 5 R Dimitrov 16.91, 6 F Donato (Ita) 16.77, 7 M Calvo (Cub) 16.75, 8 A Glavatskiy (Blr) 16.49, 9 K Bell (USA) 16.13, No mark: I Gavrilenko (Rus), I Punga (Rom)

60m hurdles 1st semi-final: 1 S Olijars (Lat) 7.55sec, 2 Y Hernandez (Cub) 7.50, 3 D Dorival (Hai) 7.64, 4 S Bownes (Rsa) 7.65, 5 H Montesinos (Spa) 7.71, 6 E Pizzoli (Ita) 7.78, 7 L Hudec (Aut) 7.78, 8 M Wignall (Jam) 7.81

2nd semi-final: 1 R Kronberg (Swe) 7.54sec, 2 T Trammell (USA) 7.54, 3 A Garcia (Cub) 7.56, 4 E Lichteregger (Aut) 7.63, 5 Y Pechonkin (Rus) 7.63, 6 P Coghlan (Irl) 7.67, 7 Z Videnov (Bul) 7.77, 8 A Putignani (Ita) 7.92

3000m 1st semi-final: 1 H El Guerrouj (Mar) 8:05.50, 2 M Wolde (Eth) 8:06.11, 3 B Tahri (Fra) 8:06.13, 4 P Bitok (Ken) 8:06.13, 5 A Jiminez (Spa) 8:06.18, 6 M Khaldi (Alg) 8:06.18, 7 T Broe (USA) 8:09.37, 8 J Mushinskiy (Mda) 8:21.85, 9 T Khotso (Les) 8:26.83, Dns: Y Kloutse (Tog), T Kassap (Cod)

2nd semi-final: 1 C Mottram (Aus) 7:50.21, 2 A Garcia (Spa) 7:50.84, 3 B Lagat (Ken) 7:50.93, 4 M Mourhit (Bel) 7:50.99, 5 S Berioui (Mar) 7:51:07, 6 J Mayock (Gbr) 7:51.10, 7 M Carroll (Irl) 7:53.64, 8 Y Allem (Alg) 7:56.42, 9 E Dubus (Fra) 7:58.09, 10 O Souley (Ngr) 8:44.25.