Jelimo hits jackpot, Bolt wins in Brussels
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Kenyan Pamela Jelimo claimed the Golden League's $1 million jackpot on Friday, while fellow Olympic champion Usain Bolt beat Asafa Powell to win the 100 meters at the Memorial Van Damme meeting.
Croatian high jumper Blanka Vlasic missed out on a share of the jackpot after finishing second behind German Ariane Friedrich, but ahead of Olympic champion and home favorite Tia Hellebaut who surprisingly finished third.
The 18-year-old Jelimo won the 800 meters in one minute 55.16 seconds, more than three seconds ahead of compatriot Janeth Jepkosgei and third-placed Kenia Sinclair of Jamaica.
Earlier, Bolt powered past fellow Jamaican Powell in the 100 meters to set a new course record time of 9.77 seconds.
Powell, who ran the joint second-fastest 100 of all time in Lausanne on Tuesday, finished in 9.83 after leading for most of the race until Bolt ran past him in the final 10 meters.
"I am used to chasing him," Bolt told reporters after a contest Powell described as "one of the most exciting ever. I was very excited about this race and knew it would be close".
Nesta Carter made it a Jamaican clean sweep by coming third in 10.07.
In the women's event, Belgium's European champion Kim Gevaert marked her last ever appearance on home soil when she scorched to victory in 11.25 seconds.
Amid the loudest roar of the night from the 50,000 capacity crowd, Debbie Ferguson of the Bahamas finished second and American Me'Lisa Barber was third behind the 30 year-old Gevaert, who will retire at the end of the year.
Kenya's Paul Koech stunned Olympic and world champion Brimin Kipruto to win the 3,000 meters steeplechase while Kenyan Olympic silver medalist Eliud Kipchoge easily won the 5,000 in the opening race of the night.
(Reporting by Darren Ennis, editing by Ken Ferris)
