By SHAVAUGHN MOSS NG Sports Reporter

Bahamian sprinter Chandra Sturrup's $1M US jackpot came to a close yesterday, with her first loss in the 2003 Golden League.

Sturrup ran third in the women's 100 metres, in her second best time this year (10.88 seconds).

With a heavy tail wind (+2.8m/s) American Kelli White, who Sturrup had gotten the best of in their three previous GL meetings, had a superb finish. She ran a world-leading and personal best 10.84 to end Sturrup's jackpot quest in the Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn Stadium, in Berlin, Germany.

American Chryste Gaines ran 10.86 to hold Sturrup out of second place.

Sturrup running out of lane three, got out well at the gun, and by 40 metres had a slight lead over White in lane five and Chryste Gaines in lane three. Despite keeping her form well throughout, Sturrup could not sustain her lead, as White made a powerful drive to the line for the win and pulled Gaines (10.86) with her.

Sturrup had to settle for third.

"I am very sad that I didn't win," said Sturrup on the IAAF's website. "If I had managed to win the Golden League Jackpot it would have been great for my country."

"I had a good start and knew I was in the lead. Then I felt Kelli and Chryste coming up and tried to respond but there was nothing I could do. I tried to hold on till the line but unfortunately I didn't manage it," said Sturrup.

Despite the loss, Sturrup says she intends to continue her season as planned, and hopes to do well in Zurich, Switzerland in the fifth GL meeting on Friday.

Women's 100 metres world champion, Ukrainian Zhanna Block and 1992 and 1996 Olympic sprint winner Gail Devers who reportedly were going to be in the race, did not show up.

Sturrup made history as the first Bahamian to ever be in contention for the jackpot.

As she prepares for the World Championships, she is still confident as she has improved a lot this year.

Sturrup also said it helps that she is now the number one athlete in coach Trevor Graham's camp in Raleigh, North Carolina. American Marion Jones has moved on.

Sturrup had won the first three GL meetings in Oslo, Paris and Rome.

With her defeat Mozambique's Maria Mutola needs only win two more 800 metres races to claim the jackpot.

On Sunday, Mutola was reportedly never in trouble in the women's half-mile event despite being positioned in third place at the bell some way off the pace set by the official 'rabbit'.

The World and Olympic champion finished in 1:59.01 the field which included World silver medallist and arch rival Stephanie Graf of Austria who finished second (1:59.32). Morocco's Mina Ait Hammou was third (1:59.37).

After winning a silver medal in the women's long jump at the 14th Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on Tuesday, Jackie Edwards hopped a plane for Europe where she competed in the long jump at the ISTAF meeting.

She had a best of 6.40 metres (20-9) and finished sixth.

Jamaican Elva Goulbourne won with a 6.77 (22-2) showing. Germany's Bianca Kappler was second (6.66 metres, 21-8)). Hungary's Tunde Vaszi was third with an identical 6.66 jump.

Posted Monday 11 August, 2003