Berlin  - When Marlene Dortch, the granddaughter of Jesse Owens, hung the gold medal around the neck of Dwight Phillips his comeback was completed for good.

Phillips had rebounded from some poor years with a record-tying third long jump world title in the very stadium where the US icon Owens had won four Olympic gold medals in 1936.

"That is history looking to me in the face," said Phillips.

"Jesse Owens is a great icon for sport and humanity ... I was honoured to have represented the United States and the JO symbol in the shirt."

The ruling body IAAF and the US federation had invited descendents of Owens family and that of his friendly German long jump rival Luz Long to the Berlin worlds for the special ceremony.

Long famously gave Owens advice in 1936 as the African-American claimed the gold under the eyes of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler and the two then left the stadium arm in arm.

The families have been in touch ever since.

Clad in a purple dress, Dortch attended the ceremony together with Long's son Kai Long and Long's granddaughter Julia-Vanessa Long. IAAF president Lamine Diack was also present as Phillips, South African Godfrey Khotso Mokoena and Australian Mitchell Watt got their medals.

To mark the return to Berlin the US team has honoured Owens with his initials on the athletes' shirts. Phillips said he visited the current exhibition in Berlin on Owens which "spoke volumes" about the great man.

Phillips was far from sure at the start of the year whether he would top the podium, coming off poor years after Olympic gold in 2004 and world titles in 2003 and 2005. The low point was failing to qualify for the Beijing Olympics.

But a new coach and rigid training paid off, an early-season leap of 8.51m added confidence and Phillips was the firm favourite after soaring 8.74m at the US trials.

"I made a commitment to leave it all on the track. I worked hard and I worked smart," he said.

'"This third world title means so much to me."

Phillips won with 8.54 metres from his second attempt to tie Cuban Ivan Pedroso on three world titles. Mokoena came second like at the Olympics with 8.47m and Watt had
8.37m.

The event also saw heartbreak for holder and Olympic champion Irving Saladino who went out with three fouled jumps instead of challenging Phillips for the gold as expected.

"It was a pity. I don't know what happened today. I felt good and was well prepared," said Saladino.

Unlike Owens 73 years ago, Saladino had no German to help him out because European indoor champion Sebastian Bayer and the others failed to make the final. (dpa)