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Top athletes set for Seville

Marion Jones, Bernard Barmasai and Wilson Kipketer all fought off late challenges to record victories at the Zurich Weltklasse meeting yesterday and stay in the hunt for the 1 million dollars Golden League jackpot.

Unbeaten in track events since 1997, American World champion sprinter Jones arrived in Zurich looking for her 21st consecutive 200 metre win. But she had to hold off compatriot Inger Miller at the finish to win in 22.10 seconds.

''I'm satisfied as winners usually are,'' said Jones, who will be looking to win four titles at the World Championships in Seville later this month.

In the 3,000 steeplechase, World record holder Barmasai had looked poised to register another easy victory as he bolted into an early lead. But the Kenyan instead was forced to fend off a late charge from Christopher Koskei, crossing in 8:05.16 just a stride ahead of his compatriot.

Kipketer, the 800 metres World record holder, was also forced to dig deep. Forced to world best times in Rome and Monaco by Japheth Kimutai, Kipketer this time had to fight off a challenge from South Africa's Hezekiel Sepeng, crossing a half second clear of the South African in 1:43.01.

Romania's Gabriela Szabo, the only other athlete in the hunt for the jackpot, produced the most comfortable victory, crossing first in the women's 3,000 metres in a season best time of 8:25.03.

All four can collect a share of the jackpot if they can win in Brussels and Berlin and sweep their seven Golden League events.

The meeting provided the final warm-up before the World Championships in Seville later this month.

Some of the tight finishes showed some of the leading athletes that they have a fight on their hands to win gold in the Spanish city.

Romania's Violeta Szekely became the first woman to run under four minutes this season in the women's 1,500.

Pushed by Anita Weyermann, who was trying to become the first Swiss to win in Zurich since 1993, Szekely clocked 3:59.31.

American World record holder Maurice Greene was an easy winner of the men's 100 metres ahead of Obadele Thompson, going under 10 seconds for the fifth time this season in 9.99.

One of the meeting's featured events, the race lost much of its spice when Trinidad's Ato Boldon and Canadian Olympic champion Donovan Bailey pulled out of the meeting.

Boldon, Greene's training partner and the only runner to threaten the American this season twice, also announced he would not compete at the World Championships because of a hamstring injury.

Hicham El Guerrouj and Haile Gebrselassie failed in their bids to set World records ahead of the World Championships and pick up gold bars in the process.

But El Guerrouj destroyed a top-class field which included former record holder and Olympic champion Noureddine Morceli and young Kenyan Noah Ngeny, clocking 3:28.57, the seventh fastest time in history.

Ethiopia's Gebrselassie, searching for his 16th World record, also appears a sure bet to be on the podium in Seville as he stormed home first in the 5,000 metres in 12:49.64, the eighth fastest time over the distance.

UNI