GOTHENBURG, Aug 8 - France's Eunice Barber has pulled out of the women's long jump at the European athletics championships because of a sore left thigh, a team spokesman said on Tuesday.

Barber was leading in the heptathlon when she withdrew after two events on Monday because of the injury.

A medical examination showed she had suffered a muscle tear and therefore cannot enter the long jump competition which starts on Friday with the final on Sunday, the spokesman said.

Barber, 31, won the world long jump title in 2003. She was the world heptathlon champion in 1999 and finished second to Swede Carolina Kluft in that event at the last two worlds.