Sept. 20, 2004

Berlin, Germany –
USC graduate and 2004 Olympic 400m gold medalist Tonique Williams-Darling split a million dollar jackpot with Christian Olsson, of Sweden, in the ISTAF Berlin, the final of the TDK Golden League 2004, on Sunday, September 12.

Williams-Darling was the second of the pair to accomplish six straight wins in the TDK Golden League 2004, which was the requirement to receive at least a share of the prize. Her half-a-million triumph came when she won the 400m race Sunday in front of 61,155 spectators in Berlin’s newly renovated 1936 Olympic stadium.

The 400m race, which was considered the race of the day, became an intense competition as last summer’s World gold medalist Ana Guevara, of Mexico, dramatically challenged Williams-Darling with about 60 meters to go. Williams-Darling was said to have found a new resolve and opened up a sizable winning margin in the last 40 meters to take the win and a national world record of 49.07, the fastest time in the world since Guevara herself stormed to the World title in Paris last summer (48.89).

The exact amount of Olsson’s prize was not determined until the result of the women’s 400m race had taken place. After Williams-Darling’s 400m victory, IAAF President Lamine Diack and M. Nosaka of TDK presented Williams-Darling and Olsson with the TDK Golden League Jackpot of $500,000 each.