White goes for golden double

PARIS (Reuters) -- After 300 stitches the doctors stopped counting.

Victim of an unprovoked attack, Kelli White's face was slashed so brutally that her friends could see her skull.

Now only a thin scar around her eye is a reminder of a horrendous assault for the woman who Thursday should become the first American to win the world 100-200 double.

The gap left by the absence of triple Olympic champion Marion Jones, who gave birth to a son in June, has been filled more than adequately by the 26-year-old Californian.

White won the 100 meters on Sunday night and warmed up for her favorite event with an untroubled semifinal victory on Wednesday in 22.50 seconds.

The race was evidently harder than it looked to spectators in the Stade de France.

"I wish it was over, I'm tired," she said. "But that race today gave me a lot of confidence for tomorrow and we'll see what will happen."

No U.S. woman, including Jones, has ever won both events in the 20-year history of the world championships. Only three, again including Jones, have won the Olympic double.

The graceful, long-legged Wilma Rudolph, 20th in a family of 22, won both events at the 1960 Rome Olympics.

In 1988 Florence Griffith-Joyner, whose 100 and 200 world records set during a surreal summer still stand, emulated Rudolph in Seoul.

Twelve years later Jones was equally dominant, if not as swift, in Sydney.

Only two women, both East Germans, have clinched the world double. Silke Gladisch won in Rome in 1987 and Katrin Krabbe triumphed four years later, before running foul of the drugs testers.

White said she had not had a lot of sleep since Sunday's victory.

"My mum gave out the hotel number to my family so they've been calling kind of early. They forget the time difference," she said.

If she wins, as she should on Thursday, White can forget about sleep for the rest of the championships.

Preview of Thursday's world championships finals

MEN'S POLE VAULT

Defending world champion Dmitri Markov of Australia, world silver medallist in 1999, has been inconsistent this season and has only managed a best of 5.86 at the Berlin Grand Prix.

But Frenchman Romain Mesnil, who has the world's best this season, and Israel's European champion Alex Averbukh, who has the second best, failed to clear a height in qualifying.

With those two surprisingly failing to reach the final Markov, one of nine men who cleared 5.70 meters in the two qualifying groups, is favourite to retain the title.

The challenge will come from Germany's world indoor champion Tom Lobinger, who has a season's best of 5.86 meters, and Italy's Giuseppe Gibilisco, who set a national record (5.82) in July.

South Africa's Commonwealth champion Okkert Brits, who cleared the magic six-meter mark in 1995 and 1996, could also pick up his first medal at a major global championships.

World champion: Dmitri Markov (Australia)

Olympic champion: Nick Hysong (U.S.)

World record: Sergey Bubka (Ukraine)6.14 Sestriere July 31, 1994

World leading: Romain Mesnil (France) 5.95 Castres June 8

WOMEN'S HAMMER

A close battle for gold is in prospect with France's Manuela Montebrun, who has a best of 74.50 this year, one of the leading contenders to taste victory in front of her home crowd.

She is unbeaten in 12 international competitions this season and had by far the best throw (71.36) in Tuesday's qualifying.

Her main challenge will come from Cuban world champion Yipso Moreno, who has the best throw this year. She has raised her personal best from 71.47 to 75.14 in the past 12 months.

Others in contention include Romania's world record holder Mihaela Melinte, European champion Olga Kuzenkova and Olympic champion Kamila Skolimowska, who is only 20 years old.

World champion: Yipsi Moreno (Cuba)

Olympic champion: Kamila Skolimowska (Poland)

World record: Mihaela Melinte (Romania) 76.07 Ruedlingen August 29, 1999

World leading: Yipso Moreno (Cuba) 75.14 Savona July 17

WOMEN'S 200 METERS

American Kelli White is aiming to take over the mantle of compatriot Marion Jones, who won the gold two years ago but is not competing here after having a baby in June.

White is aiming to go one better than Jones, though, by taking the 100-200 sprint double for the first time since Germany's Katrin Krabbe in 1991 after winning the 100 gold.

White, who won bronze in 2001 and has a personal best of 22.21 this year, will face competition from 100 silver medallist Torri Edwards and bronze winner Zhanna Block of Ukraine.

European champion Muriel Hurtis, fastest qualifier from the semifinals, was born and still lives in the St Denis area where the Stade de France stands and should be cheered to a medal.

Teenager Allyson Felix set this year's standard with a time of 22.11 in Mexico City in May when the 17-year-old American beat White, but she failed to reach the semi-finals here.

World champion: Marion Jones (U.S.)

Olympic champion: Marion Jones

World record: Florence Griffith-Joyner (USA) 21.34 Seoul September 29, 1988

World leading: Allyson Felix (USA) 22.11 Ciudad de Mexico May 3

WOMEN'S 400 HURDLES

Yuliya Pechonkina broke Kim Batten's long-standing world record at the Russian championships earlier this month and anything close to her time of 52.34 should be enough to see the 2001 world silver medallist go one better.

Pechonkina, who has not run any major meets this year, led the list of qualifiers with 53.57 ahead of Australia's 20-year-old Jana Pittman and American Sandra Glover.

Pittman has two Golden League victories to her name this season as has Glover, now 34, who is in good form having also won the Super Grand Prix in London.

Ukraine's Tatiana Tereschuck-Antipova and Romanian Ionela Tirlea, the third best performer in the world this year behind Pechonkina and Pittman, could also challenge for a medal.

World champion: Nezha Bidouane (Morocco)

Olympic champion: Irina Privalova (Russia)

World record: Yuliya Pechonkina (Russia) 52.34 Tula August 8, 2003

World leading: Yuliya Pechonkina as above

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