Doha (AFP)

An astonishing fog fills Doha's Khalifa stadium, a haven of light in the dark night of Qatar. This whitish veil was torn apart by the American Christian Coleman, implacable new world champion in the 100m marked by the doubt that surrounds it since the revelation of largesse taken with anti-doping.

At the end of a dominated end-to-end final, Christian Coleman achieved a blistering time (9.76, +0.6 m / s of wind), achieving his personal best and becoming the sixth best performer in history.

In a reversal of roles compared to 2017, Coleman beat his compatriot defending Justin Gatlin who won silver at 37 (9.89). Canadian Andre de Grasse confirms his return to the highest level after two difficult seasons by winning bronze (9.90).

"The last time I won the silver medal by surprise, but this time I had a lot of pressure, and despite that I managed to win the gold medal," said Coleman.

In this kind of fog that invades the Khalifa stadium when the air conditioning is turned on, to counter the heat of Qatar, Coleman simply confirmed the obvious.

Best sprinter in the straight for two years and the retreat of legend Usain Bolt, the 23-year-old American, with this first world title, had everything to take over the torch king of the sprint.

The fastest man in the world for two seasons (9.79 in 2018, 9.76 in 2019), world record holder in the 60m (6.34 in 2018), young (23), powerful but not intimidating: world athletics should rejoice of the advent of the native of Atlanta.

- The shadow of doping -

But the light of doubt, never far away in athletics, has been flashing red since the end of August.

Three breaches of its anti-doping obligations have led the US Anti-Doping Agency (Usada) to launch an investigation into Coleman, threatened with a suspension of at least twelve months that has endangered his global and Olympic dreams. But Usada was wrong on the date of the first infringement and should not have opened the investigation, leaving Coleman to plead sneer and call himself a "victim".

"In fact nothing happened, I did not do anything wrong, that's why I was able to run tonight," he insisted in a press conference "I'm a young guy who lives his life Everyone makes mistakes I travel around the world, I have friends right, left, my family elsewhere Sometimes I do a lot of things at once and update my information geolocation is not in my mind. "

There remains suspicion but also this sword of Damocles: with two failures over the past year, Coleman has no right to the error until the end of March 2020 if he wants to see Tokyo.

The shadow of doping continues to continue the 100m: of the eight sprinters who ran in less than 9 sec 80, all but Usain Bolt saw their name tarnished by a case (Maurice Greene and Coleman therefore never have been suspended).

- Gayle explodes the length -

Among them, the stainless Justin Gatlin (twice suspended for doping in his career) has expanded his incredible collection with a silver at 37: this is his fourth world medal on 100 m (two gold, two in silver) in addition to being Olympic champion in 2004 on the distance.

"Getting a new world medal is unbelievable," said Gatlin, "I've had some ups and downs this season, but getting to run so fast this year makes me want to come back next year!"

Another sensation of the evening, the Jamaican Tajay Gayle was imposed to the length by exploding his personal record, passed from 8,32 to 8,69 m. He beat American Jeff Henderson (8.39m) and Cuban favorite Juan Miguel Echevarria (8.34m).

Finally, late in the night of Doha, the Japanese Yusuke Suzuki won the 50-kilometer walk (4:04:20), played in an infernal furnace (nearly 30 degrees, 75% humidity) despite a departure at 23:30 local, a fatal test to the French titleholder Yohann Diniz, who gave up, defeated by the heat. In women's competition, China's Rui Liang and Maocuo Li secured the double.

© 2019 AFP