Richards remains in jackpot race - Bolt the star attraction

Jul 17, 2009, 18:50 GMT

Paris - Sanya Richards ran away from all rivals on the home stretch in the 400 metres on Friday to move within two victories of a 1-million dollar Golden League jackpot.

The United States runner Richards clocked 49.34 seconds for a big win over Jamaican Noviene Williams Mills (50.39) and Amantle Montsho of Botswana (50.61) in the packed Stade de France.

Richards is the fastest runner of the year over the distance and only only slightly missed her season best 49.23 seconds on Friday.

Richards has now won at four of the Golden League stops (Berlin, Oslo, Rome, Paris), with the meets in Zurich and Brussels to follow after the August 15-23 world championships in Berlin.

Six-time winners win or share the full jackpot. If no athlete manages six victories, 500,000 dollars are won or shared by five-time winners.

Jamaican sprinter Kerron Stwart, Russian pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva and Ethiopian distance runner Kenenisa Bekele were hoping to remain in the jackpot race as well later Friday.

The top attraction was also set for later in the evening, with triple Olympic champion and world record holder Usain Bolt of Jamaica to contest the 100m.

In other early action, three-time defending world champion Jeremy Wariner won the 400m in a modest 45.28 seconds with a surge on the last 50m.

The time was far away from the 2009 world lead 44.50 from fellow-American Olympic champion LaShawn Merritt.