World Athletics: Coleman storms to 100 meters gold

Sifan Hassan displays remarkable versatility by producing a stunning final lap to win the women's 10,000 metres.

Christian Coleman claimed the 100 meters World Championship gold medal on Saturday, taking the title of the world's fastest man from his United States team mate Justin Gatlin.

Coleman, silver medalist to Gatlin two years ago in London, turned the tables on his compatriot in Doha, rocketing to the top of the podium in a season's best time of 9.76 seconds.

The 37-year-old Gatlin continued to prove he is one of the sport's big-time performers, however, and grabbed the silver in 9.89.

Canadian Andre De Grasse, a triple medal winner at the Rio Olympics, returned to form after a string of injuries and took bronze in 9.90.

Just weeks ago American Coleman had looked in danger of missing the world championships when the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) filed - and later withdrew - a whereabouts violation charge that could have resulted in a one or two-year sanction.

Hassan takes 10,000m World title with late surge

Sifan Hassan displayed her remarkable versatility by producing a stunning final lap to win the women's 10,000 metres at the World Athletics Championships on Saturday, an event she ran for the first time only in May.

The Dutchwoman overtook Ethiopia's Letesenbet Gidey just before the bell and powered away over the final lap to win in a season's best time of 30 minutes 17.63 seconds and claim the first world or Olympic title of her career.

Gidey, who also started to run 10,000 metres this year, was second and Kenya's Agnes Tirop third.

Gidey and the other Ethiopian runners enjoyed the backing of a small but noisy, flag-waving contingent of their compatriots in the crowd, but thousands of seats remained empty at the Khalifa stadium.

The arena's air conditioning system ensured that the runners did not have to cope with Doha's searing heat.

Hassan, who moved to the Netherlands after leaving Ethiopia as a refugee when she was 15, won world championship bronze over 1,500 metres in 2015 and 5,000 metres two years ago.

She broke the world mile record in July and boasts a European record of one minute 5.15 seconds for the half marathon.

Hassan has entered the 1,500 and 5,000 metres later in the Doha competition but will have to choose only one of them as they clash.

"I have been a middle-distance runner and this was a test for me," said Hassan. "It was okay at the beginning but then when they were kicking at the front, I had to try hard to keep in touch.

"But I knew that I am more of a 1,500 or 5,000 runner so if I could get close I would have enough to win."

As expected, the race turned into a cagey battle between Ethiopians and Kenyans with Hassan in their midst as a group of six runners broke away.

Hassan at one stage looked uncomfortable and when Gidey made a break with four laps left, she seemed the likely winner.

But Hassan stayed in touch, closed the gap to go second with two laps left and burst away over the final lap to clinch the gold.

"Sifan simply was better than me tonight," said Gidey. "I expected to come first but being second is still good as these are my first World Championships."

Vieria defies 'hell', becomes oldest World Championship medallist

Japan’s Yusuke Suzuki won the world championship 50 kilometres race walk on Sunday while 43-year-old Joao Vieira defied conditions he described as “hell” to become the oldest man to win a medal in any event.

The Portuguese veteran, taking part in his eleventh world championship, finished second to add to the bronze medal that he won in Moscow in 2013, while Canada’s Evan Dunfee was third.

The race began at 11.30 p.m. to avoid the worst of the Doha heat but conditions were still stifling with high humidity.

“For me, it was hell ... very, very hot ... it was very bad,” Vieira told Reuters. “How did I cope? Just a lot of ice and cold water.”