Saint Denis (France), Aug 29: Kelli White completed an exceptional women's sprint double at the World Championships, something not even Marion Jones has been unable to do. Now she goes for a unique triple. This weekend, White will try to add the 4x100 relay for a third sprint gold, something even Germans Silke Gladisch in 1987 and Katrin Krabbe in 1991 could not accomplish.

White ran to victory in the 200 meters yesterday to add to her 100 gold four days earlier.

Jones wasn't here to defend her 200 title after giving birth to a son on June 28. "I can only be Kelli White, I cannot be anyone else. I made a mark for myself and hopefully I'll be appreciated for who I am" White said, in a thinly-veiled reference to the absent Jones.

"A lot of the women here feel under appreciated and I think we've all proven we can run fast"

White certainly did, clocking 22.05 seconds, the fastest in the world this year. She later said that she was exhausted.

"I was spent. I didn't have any energy, even to celebrate. Even holding the flag was hard work. This was race no. 8 for me." Anastasiya Kapachinskaya of Russia took silver in 22.38 and Torri Edwards of the United States, who already won silver in the 100, took bronze in 22.47.

White's double was the first ever for a woman from the United States, the pre-eminent nation in sprints.

Gladisch and Krabbe also doubled in the sprints, but their relay squads failed to get gold.

Bureau Report