DOHA, Qatar — Christian Coleman won the world championship gold medal in the men’s 100 meters Saturday, three weeks after avoiding a ban for missed drug tests.

Coleman, 23, started well and extended his lead down the stretch to win in 9.76 seconds. Defending champion Justin Gatlin finished second in the marquee event of the championships, dominated by Usain Bolt until his loss to Gatlin in 2017. Andre de Grasse of Canada was third.

Coleman was the silver medalist behind the 37-year-old Gatlin in 2017. In Doha, they ran side-by-side, but Gatlin never really threatened.

Gatlin said he had reached out to support Coleman when the younger runner faced a potential ban.

In contrast to the boos that greeted Gatlin’s victory in London two years ago — a reference to his two previous suspensions for doping — the reception for Coleman was warm at the lightly attended event in the Qatari capital.
Many seats in the 40,000-capacity Khalifa International Stadium were covered with awnings and a number of spectators from African countries left after the earlier women’s 10,000 meters.

Earlier, DeAnna Price became the first U.S. woman ever to win a world championship throwing event with victory in the hammer. The two-time NCAA champion from Moscow Mills, Missouri, threw 77.54 meters, beating Poland’s Joanna Fiodorow and China’s Zheng Wang.

Less than five months after making her debut in the 10,000, Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands won the world title. She’d won medals at shorter distances before moving up this season.

Bolt’s fellow Jamaican Yohan Blake was just fifth in the 100, but the nation still ended the day with a gold medal as Tajay Gayle won the long jump. His jump of 8.69 meters gave the nation known for sprinters its first world title in a field event. Jeff Henderson of the U.S. was second and Cuba’s Juan Miguel Echevarria third.

The men’s and women’s 50-kilometer walks are later Friday

Christian Coleman of USA wins 100m at IAAF World Championships

The men’s 100m final is next up on the track. We’re being treated to a quite incredible light show by way of build up, with the faces of the finallists being projected onto the track and their names spinning around the Khalifa like an ad in Times Square.

The start from Christian Coleman was so impressive and there was no eating into the lead he opened up. Not once did he fade or look like he may be sucked back in.

Great Britain’s Zharnel Hughes was back in sixth on 10.03, with Jamaican Yohan Blake in fifth at 9.97.

Whatever you may think of Justin Gatlin, he’s just won world 100m silver at the age of 37.

He gets himself on point for the big moments but can’t hang on to the gold he won in 2017.

There’s a new sheriff in town

We saw in the heats what could have been and he certainly delivered. 9.76 puts him sixth all time

We have a winner in the sixth fastest time ever.

Christian Coleman clocks 9.76 seconds, Justin Gatlin 9.89 and Andre De Grasse 9.90.

Wow. Proper sprinting across the lanes.

Coleman crossed the line, looked to the sky and simply roared.

The pantomime villain of athletics Justin Gatlin is home in second, with Canada’s Andre De Grasse in third. The front three all 9.90 and under. Full result to come….

23-year-old American Christian Coleman under a bit of a cloud for this championships after he missed three anti-doping tests?

He was said to have not updated his ‘wherabouts’ information and later explained where he was.

6th Jun 2018: Flown by his sponsor Nike to Oregon for treatment.

6th Jan 2019: Training session was moved one hour earlier than normal.

26th Apr 2019: He accompanied his coach to the Drake Relays meeting in Iowa at late notice.

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