Jelimo, Vlasic in jackpot race - Robles, Wariner shine (Roundup)

By John Nina Jul 18, 2008, 20:36 GMT

Paris - Kenyan 800 metres sensation Pamela Jelimo and high jumper Blanka Vlasic of Croatia remained in the hunt for a one- million dollar jackpot at the Golden League stop in Paris on Friday night.

Dayron Robles came very close to his 110m hurdles world record and Jeremy Wariner dominated the 400m as two other favourites proved their class in the last big meet ahead of the Beijing Olympics.

Jelimo, 18, raised her junior world record by two hundredth of a second to 1 minute 54.97 seconds in the 10th edition of the meet at the Stade de France.

She won ahead of Slovak Lucia Kocova (1:58.51) and world champion Janeth Jepkosgei of Kenya (1:58.52).

But the time was no 2008 world best as Yelena Soboleva had run 1:54.85 just a few hours earlier at the Russian championships in Kazan.

Jelimo remained in the race for the big jackpot with her fourth win in as many 2008 Golden League meets (Berlin, Oslo, Rome, Paris) and requires only two more top spots in Zurich and Brussels to be eligible for the million dollars for winners at all six stops.

Her only remaining jackpot rival in the 10 Golden League disciplines is the world champion Vlasic, who got her 33rd straight victory with a modest (by her standard) 2.01m before failing three times on 2.05m.

Ariane Friedrich of Germany was second and European champion Tia Hellebaud of Belgium third, each clearing 1.97m.

Wariner had also eyed the jackpot but a defeat in Berlin against fellow-American LaShawn Merritt cost him all chances early.

On Friday, however, the world and Olympic champion Wariner ran away from Merritt (who also beat him at the US Olympic trials) to clock a 2008 world leading 43.87, with Merritt far behind on 44.35 seconds.

'That's great. I am exactly where I want to be. My finish was excellent and the time is very good,' said Wariner.

He added that he won't compete in the upcoming Stockholm meet this year (he ran a personal best 43.35 there in 2007) because he would go home for final training ahead of the August 8-24 Beijing Olympics.

Robles sent another warning to his Chinese rival Liu Xiang, when he missed his own world record by a mere one hundredth of a second with an awesome 12.88 seconds, winning from Americans Terrence Trammell (13.19) and Antwon Hicks (13.27).

The duel between the world and Olympic champion Liu and Robles could be one of the highlights of the Olympics. Liu has stayed away from Europe while Robles stole the world record from Liu with 12.87 seconds in June.

In the absence of all stars, Marc Burns of Trinidad and Tobago won the 100m in 10.14 seconds while world champion Irving Saladino of Panama was first in the long jump with 8.31m.

On the women's side, Delloreen Ennis London of Jamaica won the 100m hurdles in 12.66 seconds and 400m specialist Sanya Richards of the US the 200m in 22.56 seconds.