Golden League Preview: Isinbayeva, Richards, Bekele in line for athletics\‘ biggest prize money – European Athletics (EAA) – NEWS

As the ÅF Golden League reaches the final stage of its last season, three athletes  – Yelena Isinbayeva, Sanya Richards and Kenenisa Bekele-remain in contention for the US$1 Million Jackpot or a share of it at tonight's Memorial Van Damme – ÅF Golden League meeting in Brussels, Belgium.

The IAAF Golden League that started in 1998 will make way for the 14-meet IAAF Diamond League series from the next season.

Fresh after setting a new world record 5.06m at the last leg of the Golden League meeting in Zurich, Isinbayeva the 2008 European Athlete of the Year will go in as favourite despite the presence of world champion Anna Rogowska.

The only hindrance that could cross the Russian's way is the haunting memory of Berlin where she failed to clear a single height and missed out on a podium finish for the first time in the last five years.

However it is unlikely to be all about the Jackpot chase, especially in the presence of sprinting phenomenon Usain Bolt. The double Olympic and world champion will be running the 200m for the first time after setting a new world record 19.19s in Berlin.

The 100m line up boasts of the second fastest man on earth after Bolt -Tyson Gay (9.71 in Berlin), former world record holder Asafa Powell, Darvis Patton among others.

Croatia's double world High Jump champion Blanka Vlasic, who missed out on the Jackpot last season after going down to Ariane Friedrich of Germany here last year, will come to the Belgian capital with a new ambition. An ambition to better Stefka Kostadinova's 22-year-old world record of 2.09m.

After scaling the second highest mark of all time 2.08m in Zagreb last week, a new world record cannot be ruled out. With an opposition line-up that includes nine finalists from Berlin 2009, Vlasic will certainly be pushed to go for it.

However if the weather conditions are not too conducive, she'll be chasing another mark set by World record holder Stefka Kostadinova, the 2.04m meeting record set in 1985.

The line-up of challengers includes Berlin silver medallist Chicherova of Russia and her compatriot Irina Gordeyeva, who joined the ranks of two-metre jumpers outdoors with a 2.02m clearance in Eberstadt on 30 August. Also looking to end the season on a high will be Italian Antoinette Di Martino, Spanish record holder Ruth Beitia, and Weltklasse third placer American Chaunte Howard.

World leader Andreas Thorkildsen will be the lone star in Javelin Throw. A throw of 91.28m in Zurich reconfirmed that the Norwegian was heads and shoulders ahead of the rest, especially in the absence of arch-rival Tero Pitkämäki, who has been out of action after suffered an ear infection in Berlin.

 European Athletics (EAA) – NEWS