September 03, 2006	Sunday	Sha'aban 9, 1427

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BERLIN, Sept 2: It's late in the athletics season and the European weather is not helping bids for record and good results. The money, at least, is good.

Asafa Powell comes to the final Golden League meet of the year assured of a slice of the US$1 million (euro780,000) jackpot, although few expect him to improve on his 100-meter world record of 9.77 seconds in one of the last competitions of the season.Sunday's Istaf competition in Berlin is the final stop on the six-meet Golden League series, the lucrative European circuit.

In a season marred by doping cases that have included U.S. sprinters Justin Gatlin and Marion Jones, the organizers have announced tough controls, including blood tests for the first time.

Berlin organizers decided not to invite Jones even before her positive test became known. They also failed to invite any athletes coached by Trevor Graham, who is under investigation by the sport's ruling body and the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.

Powell comes to the meet after losing his streak of 10 straight 100-meter races under 10 seconds. Running in cold and wet conditions in Warsaw, Poland, earlier this week, the Jamaican clocked 10.02 seconds.

The weather forecast for Berlin calls for probable rain and the conditions are not expected to be favorable to any world records, at least not in the sprints.

The financial rewards for a half-dozen athletes are considerable, however.

Four athletes have won their events at the previous five meets _ Powell, Jeremy Wariner in the 400, Sanya Richards in the women's 400 and Tirunesh Dibaba in the women's 5,000. The four are already assured of a slice of a US$500,000 (euro390,000) purse that goes to five-time winners.

Two other athletes, Kenenisa Bekele in the men's 5,000 and Irving Saladino in the long jump, have four Golden League wins this season and could join the group for a slice of the prize.

An additional US$500,000 (euro390,000) is available for athletes who win all six of their events, with Powell, Wariner, Richards and Dibaba eligible.

The format has been changed from previous years, when six-time winners split the full US$1 million (euro780,000).

Bekele's loss in Oslo, Norway robbed him of a chance to complete a sweep, leaving Dibaba as the only Ethiopian still in contention.

''My objective this season was to break the world 5,000 record in Oslo. But after running a personal best there, a lot of Ethiopians encouraged me to run the entire series,'' Dibaba said.

''They were saying that Kenenisa and I would do the country proud and that lifted my confidence. When Kenenisa lost, I knew the pressure was on me too keep Ethiopian interests for six wins alive. I am still surprised when I reflect how my season has progressed.''

Dibaba also won races in Paris, Rome, Zurich and Brussels to remain unbeaten.—AP