Kelli White's historic 200 metres win at the world championships took every ounce of strength she had.

White, the first American woman to complete a world sprint double and only the third ever, destroyed the field in the final to win in the year's fastest time of 22.05 seconds.

But the effort left her without the energy to celebrate.

"I told (my coach) Remi (Korchemni) before I stepped on the track that I had no more energy left. I was totally spent," White told reporters.

Before Thursday's final, she had already run four rounds of the 100 metres, taking the title on Sunday, and three in the 200, winning them all.

"I've done eight races and I'm tired. I had no more energy to even celebrate," the Californian said.

"The start was all I had left, those 12 to 15 steps. It gave me enough oomph to go down the track.

"Off the bend I was just hoping they weren't pushing it," added the 26-year-old, who was physically sick after the race.

White need not have worried. She dominated the race, finishing way ahead of Russian Anastasiya Kapachinskaya and fellow American Torri Edwards.

GERMAN DOUBLE

Silke Gladisch, competing for East Germany, won the sprint double in 1987 and Katrin Krabbe of Germany repeated the feat four years later.

White, the daugher of 1972 Jamaican Olympian Debra Byfield, sprang on to the athletics scene in 2001 when she won a 200 metres bronze and a relay gold at the world championships in Edmonton.

But a serious injury to her right foot last July brought her 2002 season to a premature end and threatened her participation this year.

She failed to make the US team for the world indoors in February and then her foot began to cause her problems.

"In April I didn't think I was going to make the season as my foot started hurting again," said White.

"After Mt SAC (Mt San Antonio College Relays) my foot started acting up. I said to Remi I wouldn't be able to do the full season this year.

"I went back into rehab hoping they'd be able to patch it up and hold it together for as long as they could, so this is a great accomplishment and showed how much courage I had to put everything out there.

Asked how she felt about winning the double, White replied" "I don't know what this means yet. I guess when I go home I'lll figure it out.

"Even just being the 100 metres world chaampion, it means more to the world than 200 champion does, so even that alone was going to make a change and I'm not even sure what that meant. Double title, even better."

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