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Williams-Darling, Olsson share Golden League jackpot
(agencies)
Updated: 2004-09-13 13:56
Tonique Williams-Darling and Christian Olsson crowned memorable seasons
by each winning half the million-dollar Golden League jackpot on Sunday.
The two athletes, who both left last month's Athens Olympics with gold
medals, made sure of pocketing $500,000 each with comfortable victories in the
final round of the series in Berlin.
Swedish triple jumper Olsson and 400 metres runner Williams-Darling, of
the Bahamas, were the only athletes still in contention for the prize divided
between competitors who win each of their events at the six showcase meetings.
The 24-year-old Olsson, who has lost only once this year, confirmed he
was in a class of his own with a best mark of 17.45 metres at his second
attempt.
Williams-Darling, 28, outclassed a strong field featuring arch-rival
Ana Guevara of Mexico to win in a personal best 49.07 seconds, the world's
fastest time this year.
World champion Guevara, the silver medallist from Athens, remained in
contention until the final 100 metres but then lost ground to finish a distant
second in 49.53.
More than 60,000 fans in Berlin's newly renovated Olympic stadium
witnessed victories by a string of Olympic champions, among them Lithuania's
Virgilius Alekna in the men's discus, American pole vaulter Tim Mack and long
jumper Tatyana Lebedeva of Russia.
One of few Olympic champions to be beaten on Berlin's eye-catching blue
track was Britain's Kelly Holmes.
The 800 and 1,500 metres gold medallist from Athens had to be content
with second place in the 1,500 metres behind Russia's Tatyana Tomashova, who
took some measure of revenge after finishing second to the Briton at the
Olympics.
Fans had hoped for a strong performance from former Olympic long jump
champion Heike Drechsler, making her last outdoor appearance, but it was not to
be.
The 39-year-old German managed a modest 5.92 metres after fouling one
of her attempts and could not make the final featuring the best eight
competitors.
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