$1 million jackpot chase kicks off in Berlin

By Bob Ramsak

BERLIN (Reuters) - World champions Jeremy Wariner, Blanka Vlasic, Irving Saladino and Janeth Jepkosgei will launch their bids for the $1 million Golden League Jackpot in Berlin on Sunday.

Wariner, the twice world champion, has been the dominant force in the 400 meters since winning the Olympic title four years ago. A winner of a share of the jackpot two years ago, the 24-year-old Texan said the Golden League schedule fitted perfectly into his preparation plans for the U.S. Olympic trials and the Games.

"The way the Golden League is set up this year, we have two big competitions before the trials and two before the Olympic Games," said Wariner, who ran 43.45 at the world championships last year. "These are great races for me to see where I'm at and get a feel for my competition."

His primary challenger in Berlin will be fellow American Lashawn Merritt, who finished second to Wariner at last year's world championships. Merritt has clocked 44.34 this spring, the fastest performance in the world this year.

Vlasic, who claimed the first world championship medal for Croatia last year when she won the high jump, is among the most solid favorites in the jackpot chase. The 25-year-old will bring a 24-meet winning streak to Berlin.

Saladino, the world long jump champion, is also a heavy favorite. At last weekend's FBK Games in Hengelo, the 25-year-old Panamanian leapt 8.73 meters, the longest in the world for 14 years. He has a 21-meet winning streak.

"In the end it felt easy," Saladino said of his leap. "It was easy and so I feel that it's very possible to do an even better job this coming Sunday and go even farther." Saladino said that the 8.95 meters world record set my American Mike Powell in 1991 was among his targets this year.

"There's only a little missing for me to achieve the world record, so I'm really going to try and break it in every single competition."

Jepkosgei won the world 800 meters title last year, clocking 1:56.04 in a thrilling gun-to-tape victory.

Athletes must win their events at each of the six meets to claim a share of the prize, the largest in athletics. The series includes stops at Oslo's Bislett Games on June 6, Rome's Golden Gala on July 11, Paris on July 18 and Zurich's Weltklasse on August 29, before concluding in Brussels on September 5.

Last year, American 400 meters runner Sanya Richards and world and Olympic pole vault champion Yelena Isinbayeva of Russia each claimed half of the jackpot.

(Editing by Clare Lovell)