Wayde Van Niekerk retained his world 400 meters title in dominant fashion as he stormed to victory in 43.98 seconds but there was almost as much interest in the empty lane alongside him where Botswana's Isaac Makwala should have been.

South African Van Niekerk, the Olympic and defending champion and world record holder, ran a controlled race and was even able to ease down over the final strides as he secured the first half of what he hopes will be a 400/200 meter double.

Steven Gardiner of the Bahamas was a clear second in 44.41 and 20-year-old World Junior Champion Abdalelah Haroun of Qatar blasted through at the end to snatch bronze in 44.48 seconds.
Barbora Spotakova of the Czech Republic regained the javelin world title she first won 10 years ago at the world championships.

The World record holder threw 66.76 meters on her second attempt in the final, which proved enough to clinch a second world gold for the 36-year-old.
American Sam Kendricks capped his outstanding season by winning the pole vault as the title once again eluded world record holder and former Olympic Champion Renaud Lavillenie.

Kendricks, unbeaten this year, cleared 5.95 while Poland's Piotr Lisek took the silver and Lavillenie bagged bronze medal.
Pierre-Ambroise Bosse was such a surprise winner of the 800 meters that the Frenchman could hardly credit it himself.

The 25-year-old reckoned he had risked everything by making his move down the back straight.
Kenya's Conseslus Kipruto continued his country's dominance of the 3,000 meters steeplechase with a courageous and confident victory, just weeks after recovering from an ankle injury.