Usain Bolt beats Justin Gatlin for 4th straight 200m world title

Usain Bolt again defeated rival Justin Gatlin on Thursday to win his fourth consecutive 200-metre world title and complete another sprint double at the world track and field championships in Beijing.

Bolt won the 100m crown for the third time on Sunday, edging Gatlin at the line by 0.01 of a second.

The American came into the 200 final with the year's best time and three of the top four, but Bolt bettered them all, running 19.55 seconds. That's his quickest since 2012, even though Bolt slowed down and showboated once victory was assured.

Looking left and failing to see any red from Gatlin's jersey, the greatest sprinter of all time lifted both arms and punched his thumbs into his chest as he crossed the finish line.

"There was no doubt," Bolt said. "I told you guys that I would do it."

Gatlin clocked 19.74 as he settled for another silver, and South Africa's Anaso Jobodwana got the bronze in 19.87 in a blistering race.

Once Bolt sat down to savor his victory on a trackside chair, Gatlin came over to congratulate him and the rivals shook hands and chatted. They're scheduled to meet again in the 4x100m relay — an event in which Bolt has anchored Jamaica to gold at the last three world championships and two Olympics.

Seven years ago, Bolt started his astounding run of gold at the Beijing Olympics and has not lost a major 200 race since.

In addition to winning both the 100 and 200 titles at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, Bolt pulled off the double at the worlds in 2009, 2013 and this year. He was disqualified for a false start in the 100 in 2011.

Bolt had been struggling with injury since winning his third straight 200 title at the 2013 worlds in Moscow, only to show once again in Beijing that he saves his best performances for when the stakes are highest.

Bolt toppled by cameraman

Shortly after Bolt's victory, a cameraman on a two-wheel Segway-type vehicle banged into Bolt from behind.

Bolt went down on his back, flipping over before getting back on his feet and then briefly holding his left leg.

After regaining his composure, he walked back to the cameraman to make sure he was OK too.

"It took me out pretty well," Bolt said. "But I'm OK. No issues so I'm happy about it."

Bolt jokingly blamed Gatlin.

"The rumour I'm trying to start right now is that Justin Gatlin paid him off. So, that's what I'm going with," Bolt said, with Gatlin sitting right next to him.

Gatlin retorted: "I want my money back. He didn't complete the job."

Felix wins 9th gold

Allyson Felix won the 400 metres in 49.26 seconds to earn her ninth world championship gold medal and briefly match the total of Usain Bolt before he won his 10th in the 200 metres.

Ten years after she won her first gold, a 200m title in Helsinki, Felix ran the fastest time in the world this year.

Shaunae Miller of Bahamas won silver in 49.67 and Shericka Jackson of Jamaica took bronze in 49.99.

Taylor takes triple jump

Christian Taylor produced the second-best triple jump of all time to win the United States' second gold medal of the world championships, recording 18.21 metres with his final attempt.

The 2012 Olympic gold medallist and 2011 world champion has been in a duel all season with Pedro Pablo Pichardo of Cuba, with both clearing the 18-metre mark in the last two months to raise the prospect of the world record falling in Beijing.

In the end, Taylor narrowly missed the 18.29 mark which Jonathan Edwards set the world championships at Gotenburg in 1995.

Pichardo took silver at 17.73, also saving his best for the last round. Nelson Evora of Portugal jumped 17.52 with his final attempt to edge Omar Craddock (17.37) for the bronze.

Wlodarczyk earns 2nd hammer throw title

Anita Wlodarczyk broke the championship record twice on consecutive throws to win her second world title in the women's hammer throw with a mark of 80.85 metres.

The 30-year-old Polish thrower set the world record of 81.08 on Aug. 1 and seemed to be on course to break it again when she improved with each of her first four attempts.

She recorded 78.52 with her second attempt after a relatively gentle opener of 74.40.

Wlodarczyk broke the meet record with her third attempt at 80.27, improving on the 78.80 set by Tatyana Beloborodova of Russia in Moscow in 2013, and improved it again with a mark of 80.85 on her fourth throw. Her fifth attempt broke a sequence of round-by-round improvements with a mark of 79.31.

Wlodarczyk, the runner-up at the last Olympics and world championships, finished off with a foul.

Zhang Wenxiu of China won the silver medal in 76.33, ending a sequence of three consecutive bronze medals at the worlds. Alexandra Tavernier of France was third at 74.02.