Jamaica's Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce rallied to claim an unprecedented third world championship 100 metres title in 10.76 seconds at the Bird's Nest stadium on Monday.
With her long, dyed green braids flowing behind her, the diminutive 28-year-old was not quickest out of the blocks but soon got into her stride and powered down the track to add to her triumphs in Berlin in 2009 and Moscow two years ago.
Former heptathlete Dafne Schippers almost caught her with a brilliant finish but was more than satisfied with her second Dutch national record of the night in 10.81 and first world championship silver.
Like Schippers, American Tori Bowie has not long turned her focus to the sprints and she claimed bronze in 10.86 ahead of 2007 world champion Veronica Campbell-Brown (10.91).
Fraser-Pryce's time was the second fastest of the year after her own 10.74 in Paris last month but she was not satisfied.
"I get tired of 10.7s," said the double Olympic champion.
"I just wanted to put a great race together. I want a 10.6 something. Hopefully in my next race I’ll get it together. I just work hard and focus on executing."
Schippers, who also beat her national record in the semi-finals, was delighted to secure silver in her first season after giving up the multi-discipline event to focus on the sprints
"So happy," she said. "It’s a national record, I’m second in the world, it’s crazy.
"I was a little bit nervous in the semi-finals, and after that I think, OK, I’m in the final, anything is possible. My start was good, I thought I was close enough to medal. Wow."
Trinidad and Tobago team mates Michelle-Lee Ahye (10.98) and Kelly-Ann Baptiste (11.01) finished fifth and sixth with the third Jamaican Natasha Morrison and Nigeria's Blessing Okagbare (both 11.02) seventh and eighth respectively.
Record fourth steeplechase crown for Kenyan Kemboi
Ezekiel Kemboi underlined his status as one of the great Kenyan athletes by capturing the world championship 3,000 metres steeplechase crown for a record fourth time on Monday.
The 33-year-old seized the gold medal thanks to a devastating sub 57-second last-lap burst at the Bird's Nest Stadium.
Kenya secured their first clean sweep in the event for eight years but the anticipated challenge from Evan Jager faded on the final lap as the American was unable to match the speed of the Africans and trailed home sixth.
Kemboi, who clocked eight minutes 11.28 seconds, added the title to those he won in 2009, 2011 and 2013 and to the Olympic gold he landed in 2004 and 2012.
Silver went to Conseslus Kipruto, who did much of the pacesetting and hung on to finish in 8:12.38, while Brimin Kiprop came third in 8:12.54.
Another Kenyan, 2015 world rankings leader Jairus Birech, was fourth in 8:12.62.
The prospect of an athlete challenging the Kenyan monopoly in this event, 12 previous world champions were born in the African country, improved when Jager was runner-up at a Diamond League meeting in Paris last month.
However, the relatively modest early pace did not suit the rangy American on Monday.
While Kipruto did much of the hard work up at the front, Kemboi hardly moved from the back of the leading quintet until the bell sounded for the final lap.
Jager surged on to the shoulder of Kipruto but, down the back straight, Kemboi overtook all his rivals before producing one of his trademark victory dances after crossing the line.
