Three years and counting

Sanchez's Golden League win in Paris keeps hurdler in hunt for $1 million

PARIS (Reuters) -- World 400 meters hurdles champion Felix Sanchez of the Dominican Republic, unbeaten now for three years, remained in the hunt for a $1 million jackpot with an untroubled win at the Paris Golden League meeting on Friday.

Sanchez, one of five athletes still in contention for the money which is shared between athletes who win each of their events in the six Golden League meetings, got away smoothly after South Africa's Llewellyn Herbert had false started.

He drew level with American champion James Carter at the fifth barrier and strode away to win in 47.99 seconds.

As he crossed the line at the Stade de France, Sanchez pointed to the number one he had been allotted to wear on his vest then ripped it off and waved it to the crowd.

Carter, the fastest man in the world this year, faded to sixth place in 49.11 seconds.

Tonique Williams-Darling of the Bahamas, another athlete seeking a share of the jackpot, clocked the fastest time of the year when she won the women's 400 metres in 49.15 seconds by five metres from Romanian Ionela Tirlea-Manolache.

"I knew I could come out in Paris and run well," she said after setting a national record.

The other athletes still with a chance to split the jackpot who were scheduled to compete in the third of the six elite European meetings are South African women's high jumper Hestrie Cloete, Swedish men's triple jumper Christian Olsson and Lithuanian men's discus thrower Virgilijus Alekna.

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