France and

MONACO. Sept 8: Monte Carlo, the ostentatiously affluent principality nestling between

Italy, provjd’es an

appropriate backdrop for Moses Kiptanui as he chases further dollars at Saturday's

Grand Prix athletics final, report agencies.

Unless one of his main rivals sets a world record, the greatest steeplechaser in history need finish only third in his specialist event to win the men's overall title and earn 130,000 dollars for his afternoon's work.

A world 5.000 metres record this season plus the first sub-eight minute 3.000 steeplechase have given the Kenyan a 12-point lead over his nearest challengers and in all probability ensured another big payday.

In the women's overall Grand Prix. Mozambique's Maria Mutola has a six-point lead over her closest rivals, thanks to her world 1.000 metres record in Brussels last month. A win would go some way to compensating for her disqualification in the semifinals of the Gothenburg World Championships 800 metres.

The Grand Prix final, culmination of an exhausting season, features most of the year's other outstanding performers including Michael Johnson, Noureddine Mor-cell. Haile Gebreselassie and Sonia O' Sullivan.

Johnson, the first man to complete the world 200 and 400 metres double, runs over the 200.

There will be two special races in the meeting — the 100 metres and 1,500 metres. They were added to accommodate Linford Christie of Britain and Noureddine Morcell of Algeria.

They deserve the special attention. They've dominated this year's track and field season either by setting records or in defeat.

Morceli was the overall winner last year but is not in contention this year because the 1,500 — where he recently won his third world title — is not a Grand Prix event this year. If it were, he would have no competition as he has set world records the last four years and has been named the top athlete In his sport the last two years.