Anthony Foster, Freelance Writer
SMITH
JAMAICA'S WORLD triple jump champion, Trecia Smith, has a golden chance to play the spoiler today.
If the 29-year-old can beat Russia's Tatyana Lebedeva at the Memorial Van Damme meet in Brussels, Belgium she will deny her rival a TDK Golden League US$1 million jackpot.
The lucrative prize goes to athletes who win their event at the six Golden League meets each year and the Russian is the only competitor left in the hunt for the massive purse going into the penultimate meet. In Zurich last week, Jamaica's Olympic 200m champion, Veronica Campbell ended Frenchwoman Christine Arron's jackpot hopes with a career best performance in the women's 100m. Campbell was timed in 10.85 seconds to beat Arron into fourth place in 10.99. World champion Lauryn Williams was second in 10.88, also a personal best, while Bahamian world leader Chandra Sturrup held on to third in 10.97.
MAIN THREAT
Trying emulate Campbell's feat, Smith, one of two world champions at today's meet, is considered Lebedeva's main threat as they are the only two triple jumpers to have gone beyond 15 metres this season. Lebedeva needs a victory today and then in Berlin on September 4 to secure a full house of six wins. Then by simply competing at the IAAF World Athletics Final in Monaco (September 9-10), the 29-year-old will be eligible to receive a cheque for US$1 million - athletics largest single payday.
Lebedeva, who pulled out of the World Championships in Helsinki, is not going to give up easily and she is ready to fight for her life. "My injury (Achilles) is getting better day by day and it is really only a very minor discomfort ... I can't think about the money yet," IAAF website quoted Lebedeva yesterday saying.
MORE LOCALS IN BRUSSELS
Three other Jamaicans, Dwight Thomas, Brandon Simpson and Michael Blackwood, are also down to compete in Brussels.
Thomas, who ran a personal best of 10.00 three days ago, is listed to contest the men's 100m against Olympic and world champion Justin Gatlin, his training partner, world championships bronze medallist Kim Collins of St. Kitts and Nevis, former world record holder Maurice Greene, Trinidadian Marc Burns, Francis Obikwelu of Poland and Ghana's Aziz Zakari.
Blackwood and Simpson are down for the men's 400m where they will face Canadian Tyler Christopher, Bahamian Christopher Brown and American Tyree Washington.
