Powell leads trio of double jackpot winners in Berlin

BERLIN, Sep 3 (Reuters) Asafa Powell, Jeremy Wariner and Sanya Richards completed perfect Golden League seasons on Sunday to scoop 250,000 dollar shares in the double jackpot.

Jamaica's Powell ran 9.86 seconds in cold, damp conditions in the 100 metres at the International Stadionfest (ISTAF) meeting, ahead of American Tyson Gay in second and giving the world record holder a sixth win out of six in the series.

Wariner, the 400m world and Olympic champion, had little trouble matching that record in front of a 48,000 crowd at the Olympiastadion, scene of soccer's World Cup final in July.

The American ran his usual untroubled race on the blue track, coming home in 44.26 seconds to hold off a late surge from Gary Kikaya.

Richards became the third and final athlete with a faultless record when she won the women's 400m in 49.81 seconds, putting her just over a second ahead of fellow American Dee Dee Trotter.

SPOILS SHARED That trio will share a 500,000 dollar purse, working out at 166,666 dollar apiece, for athletes winning all six of their races in the Golden League meetings provided they appear at the World Athletics Final in Stuttgart next weekend.

They will add that to one-sixth shares in a separate 500,000 dollar jackpot (83,333 dollar each) for athletes winning their events in at least five of the six meetings.

Tirunesh Dibaba of Ethiopia, who was also in line for the double jackpot going into the Berlin meet, was edged out by world record holder and compatriot Meseret Defar in a thrilling finish to the women's 5,000m.

Dibaba held a slight lead going down the final straight but a devastating late kick form Defar saw her take the lead inside the final 10m. Dibaba therefore had to settle for the ,333 on offer for five wins out of six.

Two other athletes clinched shares of that part of the pot when they recorded their fifth victories on Sunday.

Irving Saladino of Panama claimed his prize in the long jump with a first round leap of 8.35m.

Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia ran a solo race for his fifth win in the 5,000m. His time of 12:57.74 took him to victory by over seven seconds from his brother Tariku Bekele.

REUTERS PM KP1945