Noah Lyles needed to come from behind to live up to his top billing and claim the 200m world title on a night of American track and field success Doha.

Lyles trailed coming out of the bend but then surged to victory in 19.83 seconds, more than three-tenths slower than his personal and season best 19.50.

Canada’s Andre De Grasse, the Rio Olympic silver medallist behind Usain Bolt, was second again in 19.95 while Ecuador’s Alex Quinonez took the bronze by clocking 19.98.

Briton Adam Gemili led the field into the home stretch but faded to fourth, just ahead of Turkish title holder Ramil Guliyev.

Lyles’ gold completed the US team’s return to sprint supremacy in the post-Usain Bolt era at the worlds after Christian Coleman topped the 100m – the first 100m and 200m double since Tyson Gay won both races in 2007.

Lyle’s teammate Donavan Brazier stormed home and broke the world championship record to claim a first-ever world title for the United States in the men’s 800 metres.

The 22-year-old, running in his first world or Olympic final, destroyed the field as he raced past Puerto Rican Wesley Vazquez with 300 metres left to win in one minute 42.34.

Bosnia’s Amel Tuka, who won the bronze in Beijing in 2015, went one better by taking the silver and Kenya’s Ferguson Cheruiyot Rotich banked bronze.

Another American Sam Kendricks, defended his pole vault title, beating Armand Duplantis after both cleared the best height at a world championships since 2001.

Kendricks and Duplantis both cleared 5.97m and failed their attempts at 6.02. Kendricks took the title because he had fewer failures at lower heights, four compared to five for Duplantis, who represents Sweden but was raised in Louisiana.

-AAP