What has been a disappointing year for Texas Ex Sanya Richards, turned golden yesterday. The 400-meter star split the $1 million IAAF jackpot with Russian pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva to take home a cool half-million dollars. "Nobody knows how hard this year has been for me. I feel much stronger now than I did two months ago," said Richards, the 2006 Female Track & Field Athlete of the year who stunned track fans by failing to qualifying for the individual World Championships 400 meters at the USATF champs.

Richards and Russian pole vaulter Isinbayeva entered the weekend with four victories in their specialties in four Golden League meets and needed to win in Brussels on Friday and Berlin and Sunday to earn part of all of  the $1 million payday.

In Brussels, Richards lowered her season best in the 400 to 49.29 as she handily defeated World Champs silver medalist Nicola Sanders of Great Britain. Then yesterday in Berlin, Richards ran 49:27 to beat '07 World Champion Christine Ohuruogu of Britain (50.40) and Sanders (50.70).

 "I am so proud of myself," said Richards who lives in Pflugerville and trains in Waco with Clyde Hart. "I am so excited that I could win the jackpot for the second time. This time I will invest the money and won’t spend everything."

Her victory in Berlin was meaningful in another way. “I don’t like the word revenge but, for me, it is a little bit of gratification, just to prove to the world that I am the best at 400," said Richards who will compete in the World Athletics Final next weekend in Stuttgart where, she said, "I’ll try and run under 49 seconds."