twelve hundredths of a second of his second successive World Indoor Championship medal in Paris on Saturday.

The veteran sprinter, a silver medallist at the same meet in Barcelona two years ago and since then a semi-finalist at the Olympic Games, had to settle for fourth place in the 200 metres final at the Bercy Sports Palace.

He was pipped for bronze by Francis Obikwelu the same man who edged him out in Friday's second semi-final heat. But both ran comparatively slow times, the Nigerian 21.10 closely followed by Douglas in 21.22.

A day earlier, Douglas -- perennially overshadowed by the Island's other star athlete, triple jumper Brian Wellman -- had run 20.77, the second fastest time of 40 sprinters competing in the first round heats.

Victory in the final went to American Kevin Little in 20.40 with Cuba's Ivan Garcia claiming the silver in 20.46. Pre-race favourite, Trinidad's Olympic 100 and 200 bronze medallist Ato Bolden pulled up with a severely strained right hamstring 30 metres from the finish.

Bolden had set a championship record of 20.41 in Friday's semi-finals.

Little's memorable win was the first by a white American sprinter in a major international meet -- Olympics or World Championships -- since 1956, when Bobby Morrow swept the 100 and 200 and ran on the winning 400-metres relay team at the Melbourne Games.

Douglas, who was at the championships with national track and field coach Gerry Swan and Wellman -- who crashed out in Friday's triple jump qualifying with a miserable best leap of 15.61 metres -- couldn't be reached for comment over the weekend, but was yesterday reportedly heading back to his home in Holland by train.

Gold medallist Little, meanwhile, told Associated Press: "I realise I'm a white man, but I'm trying to be the fastest sprinter in the world -- not the fastest white man. The way I see it, a man won the 200. It doesn't matter what colour.

"I know what I'm capable of. Hopefully, the fans and the viewers and the world will see that and they won't see it as a white sprinter. I want to be appreciated for my talent and my sport.'' "I was confident coming in and I knew I could win,'' added Little, the bronze medallist two years ago when he was beaten by Douglas in Barcelona.

"I felt I couldn't be beat. There was no pressure on me except the pressure I put on myself. I had to run a perfect race and I did that.'' His perfection resulted in matching the US record set last year by Jeff Williams and also equalling Bolden's championship record.

Defending triple jump champion Wellman yesterday saw his title handed over to Cuba's Yoel Garcia who claimed gold with a leap of 17.30 metres.

Wellman won the event two years ago with a jump of 17.72.

Silver yesterday went to another Cuban, Aliecer Urrutia (17.27) and bronze to Russia's Alexander Aseledchenko (17.22).

GOING FOR GOLD -- American Kevin Little (left) leads the way home in Saturday's 200 metres final at the World Indoor Track and Field Championships in Paris as pre-race favourite Ato Bolden of Trinidad pulls up with a strained hamstring. Bermuda's Troy Douglas, silver medallist at the last championships two years ago, finished a creditable fourth. -- Reuter