Usain Bolt ensured he woudn't go home empty handed in the individual events at the world athletics championships in Daegu, South Korea on Saturday, winning the gold medal in the 200 metre sprint.

The Jamaican was cautious in the starting blocks and then surged to a time of 19.40 seconds, the fastest in the world this year and the fourth fastest ever. Bolt holds three of the fastest four times ever at the distance, with the exception retired American star Michael Johnson.

Walter Dix ran a season's best 19.70 for silver, while France's Christophe Lemaitre went under 20 for the first time ever, taking bronze in 19.80.

Bolt was unable to successfully defend his 100 metre world championship last week, disqualified under the IAAF's new, controversial protocol for false starts.

Dix won silver in the 100, a race in which Demaitre just missed the podium with a fourth place finish.

Doping report The IAAF says it has completed blood sampling of every athlete participating at the world championships. The IAAF says 1,848 pre-competition blood samples have been collected. IAAF President Lamine Diack says "the IAAF is proud of its total commitment to the fight against doping in athletics and this initiative will stand us in very good stead as we re-double our efforts going forward." The blood testing program is in addition to the usual in-competition testing of more than 500 urine samples, which are being analyzed by a WADA-accredited laboratory in Seoul.

"I am still the best," Bolt told an elated crowd of about 45,000 at Daegu Stadium before starting a barefoot dance to a deafening beat. "It was beautiful."

Before his race, he was fist-bumping with the volunteer who carried his belongings, practiced his "Lightning Bolt" move and shushed the crowd with a finger before his lips before he sank into the blocks.

There was going to be no shock disqualification again. With a reaction time of .193 seconds, he was the slowest out of the blocks.

But from there on, everything went like a whirlwind.

Dix was running in Lane 4 just ahead of him and surprisingly held off Bolt for much of the bend. But from there onward, it was a foregone conclusion as Bolt put the power on, fully got his knees rolling and left the others standing.

He was eyeing the giant television screen to see he was unchallenged in his favourite event. Yet he kept powering to prove a point that there was no dent in his confidence.

Women's 100m hurdles

Sally Pearson of Australia was an impressive winner in the women's 100-metre hurdles, winning in a championship record time of 12.28 seconds.

Americans Danielle Carruthers and Dawn Harper, took silver and bronze, respectively.

Canada had two athletes marking their first appearance in a world championship final in the event. Nikkita Holder of Pickering, Ont. was sixth in 12.93 seconds. Phylicia George of Toronto hit a hurdle early and was well back in seventh, with Kellie Wells of the U.S. not able to finish after taking a nasty spill resulting from contact with a hurdle.

Pearson became the fourth-fastest hurdler in history.

"I said I was going to do a PB in the final and I was making sure I would do that," said the 24-year-old Pearson, who is .07 seconds off the world record set by Yordanka Donkova of Bulgaria in 1988. "I couldn't have asked for anything more."

Pearson had to run twice Saturday at Daegu Stadium, and she didn't disappoint either time. In the second semifinal heat, Pearson won in a world-leading time of 12.36, already beating her personal best by .12 seconds.

"A gold medal was what I was more excited about," said Pearson, who won the silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Games. "I wanted this so badly and I'm so glad it's come together on the right night."

Carruthers and Beijing Olympic champion Harper each set personal bests.

Canadian Perdita Felicien, the world champion in 2003, couldn't get past the semifinal stage.

Men's 1,500

Asbel Kiprop added another chapter to Kenya's phenomenal success at the world championships.

Kiprop won the men's 1,500-metre race Saturday to give Kenya its first gold medal in the event and sixth overall at this year's worlds.

"Everybody is happy with this win, the first ever in the 1,500 at the championships," Kiprop said. "I am sure we will get a reception at the State House when we return."

Kiprop won in three minutes 35.69 seconds, beating teammate Silas Kiplagat, who finished in 3:35.92. Matthew Centrowitz of the United States took the bronze medal in 3:36.08.

Kiprop, the 2008 Olympic gold medallist, pulled ahead of Kiplagat over the last lap and finished with a strong sprint. Kiplagat, the fastest man this year, briefly led Kiprop on the last lap but had to settle for silver.

"I look a little disappointed because the man who got the gold is the man I usually beat," Kiplagat said. "I lost to a colleague of mine who I beat all season. Today, he beat me. He started his final sprint earlier than I expected."

Kiprop's win was the latest in what is turning out to be a dominating performance for Kenya's distance runners.

In addition to the six medals Kenya won on the opening day, David Rudisha won the 800 on Tuesday and Ezekiel Kemboi took the men's steeplechase on Thursday.

Kenya will also have a chance for more medals in the men's 5,000 and marathon on Sunday, when defending champion Abel Kirui will be joined by teammates Vincent Kipruto and Benjamin Kiptoo.

Vivian Cheruiyot led a Kenyan 1-2-3 in the 10,000 earlier in the meet and completed the double Friday with a victory in the 5,000.

Centrowitz, meanwhile, surprised even himself with the bronze medal.

"If someone told me before the competition that I would win bronze I would tell them he was joking," Centrowitz said. "I still feel like I am dreaming."

Women's high jump

Anna Chicherova of Russia won the gold medal in the women's high jump Saturday, clearing 2.03 metres. Two-time defending champion Blanka Vlasic of Croatia took silver, clearing the same height but losing on the countback.

Antonietta Di Martino of Italy earned bronze by jumping 2.00 metres.

"I had big motivation after my baby was born. It changed my thinking," said Chicherova, 29. "I feel free. I'm free deep inside. I don't have any bad things in my head. I'm really happy for everything. I understand that she is my big win in my life."

Chicherova finished second at the 2009 worlds in Berlin and third at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

"I was trying for the first place. I dreamt about a gold medal today," Chicherova said. "I have a bronze and silver but haven't had the gold medal. ... Today I did it."

Vlasic, the two-time defending world champion, nearly withdrew from the worlds due to a partial muscle tear in her left leg.

"I think I did good under the circumstances. It was hard and I'm just happy I came," Vlasic said. "I didn't make it easy on them. I'm hurting now, of course. But when the adrenaline is there, you forget it. You forget about the pain."

Men's javelin

Matthias De Zordo of Germany upset Olympic champion Andreas Thorkildsen of Norway to win the men's javelin at the world championships on Saturday.

De Zordo won with an opening throw of 86.27 metres. Thorkildsen took second with a toss of 84.78 and Guillermo Martinez of Cuba took bronze with 84.30.

Thorkildsen has won every major competition twice except the world championships.

Women's 4 x 400

The United States won the women's 4x400-meter relay Saturday, giving Allyson Felix a seventh career gold medal at the world championships.

Felix and Sanya Richards-Ross failed to get gold in the individual 400 but running the first two legs of the relay, they built such a lead that the outcome was inevitable. They won in 3:18.09 seconds.

Behind the Americans, Jamaica took silver in 3:18.71 and Russia earned bronze in 3:19.36.

It was the third straight victory in the event for the United States while Jamaica has now taken silver at the last four world championships.