The Italian and Japanese battled shoulder-to-shoulder as the leading pair in the final 4km, but the Italian coped well with the pressure and accelerated in the final 300m to seal the gold medal.
Not even Usain Bolt could overcome a big American lead as the US men sprinted to a convincing victory over Jamaica in the 4x100 metres relay at the IAAF World Relays in Nassau on Saturday.
With no Russians, few stars and the sport engulfed in a doping crisis the world indoor athletics championships begin this week with officials holding their breath and eager to put the spotlight back on the track.
Usain Bolt completed yet another crushing sprint double on Saturday and hardly needed to extend himself to achieve it as he took his third successive world 200 metres title in the year's fastest time of 19.66 seconds - easing down.
The ceremony will now be hosted by Hugh Grant, the Golden Globe-winning actor, though the organisers had earlier announced that the host will be Sharon Stone.
Rafael Nadal is in contention for the 'World Sportsman of the Year' award alongside six-time Formula 1 World champion Lewis Hamilton, six-time World MotoGP champion Marc Mrquez and six-time FIFA World Footballer of the Year Lionel Messi.
Check out five female athletes to watch out for at the August 22-30 world athletics championships in Beijing.
Australia's Sally Pearson completed one of the great sporting comebacks when she overcame two years of injury agony to win the world 100 metres hurdles title at the age of 30.
Christian Coleman showed again he is the man to beat in the 100 metres as he cruised to victory at the US Nationals and World Championship trials with another sub-10 second run on Friday. World silver medallist Coleman, who holds the year's fastest time of 9.81 seconds, won the final in 9.99 seconds after clocking 9.96 in the semi-finals.
Check out the gold medallists on Day 15 of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, on Saturday:
Gatlin stormed to the lead in the final 20 metres and defeated favoured youngster Christian Coleman in the 100 metres final at the US nationals/world championships trials on Friday.
Yes, people, it's Fab Friday as the Felix, Farah and Bolt show beckons! Usain Bolt starts his quest for a second world track gold in Moscow but American sprinting great Allyson Felix looks set to steal the limelight as she goes for a fourth world 200 metres title on Friday.
World champion Dafne Schippers proved she will be the sprinter to beat over 200 metres at next year's Rio Games with victory over Olympic champion Allyson Felix at the Diamond League athletics finale in Brussels on Friday.
Double Olympic champion Mo Farah won the 5,000 metres at the Diamond League meeting in Lausanne.
The contest for the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award promises to be one of the most competitive ever with the likes of Usain Bolt, Cristiano Ronaldo and Andy Murray vying for top honours.
Bahamian Shaunae Miller launched herself over the finishing line with a desperate dive to pip Allyson Felix to the women's Olympic 400 metres gold medal by the narrowest of margins on Monday.
Regarded as the Oscar of sports, the nominations for 2018 Laureus World Sports Awards were finalised following a ballot by the world's sports media.
American swimmer Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time, said on Tuesday he hopes this year's Rio Olympics can help heal a sports world hit by recent doping and corruption cases.
Usain Bolt, already enshrined as one of the greatest Olympians of all time, became the most successful athlete in world championship history. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce also completed the hat-trick.
The 21-year-old stuttered on the penultimate barrier but surged down the home stretch to power across the line and beat her previous record of 51.90 set at the U.S. trials in June.
Ethiopia's world indoor champion Genzebe Dibaba broke the 22-year-old world women's 1,500 metres record on a sultry night at the Monaco Diamond League meet.
A round-up of all the results from the 16th World Athletic Championships in London
Mariya Kuchina won thewomen's high jump with a clearance of 2.01 metres on Saturday to become Russia's second gold medallist at this world championships. The 22-year-old from Moscow had a blemish-free card to that height, her lifetime best performance.
Nirmala Sheoran produced a forgettable performance in the women's 400m semi-finals to finish among the bottom trio as India's disappointing show in the World Athletics Championships continued on the fourth day on Monday.
Usain Bolt returns to the site of his first global triumph this week for a world championships showdown with a convicted dope cheat that has ramifications for athletics beyond just establishing who is the fastest man in the world.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said on Friday its Independent Commission will urgently launch an investigation into widespread doping allegations against international athletics.
Bahrain's Ruth Jebet blew away the competition to win the women's 3,000 metres steeplechase gold on Sunday, but narrowly missed out on the world record. Jebet ran a bold race, bursting into the lead after a few laps and setting a blistering pace to win in 8 minutes, 59.75 seconds, just shy of the 8:58.81 world record set by Russia's Gulnara Galkina at the 2008 Beijing Games.
A round-up of results from the final day of the World Athletics Championships in Doha on Sunday
Ethiopia's Almaz Ayana put on a brilliant display of front-running to win the women's 5,000 metres at the world championships on Sunday and deprive compatriot Genzebe Dibaba of an unprecedented double gold.
Check out the schedule of the World Athletics Championships to be held in Moscow from August 10-18.
Hansle Parchment of Jamaica was second in 13.03 and Olympic champion and world record holder Aries Merritt claimed bronze in 13.04 seconds.
Olympic champions the United States reclaimed their women's 4x400m relay world title as Jamaica suffered more injury heartbreak in the World Championships final on Sunday.*
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