Qatar's Mutaz Barshim turned on the style to win his third straight world high jump gold medal on Monday after clearing a world-leading 2.37 metres with ease.
Barshim, who famously shared Olympic gold with Italy's Gianmarco Tamberi last year, jumped beautifully all night at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon to go well beyond his own season's best of 2.30m.
The title was just about secure after he cleared 2.35m but he then eased over 2.37m looking almost in slow motion. With the gold medal then in the bag he had one attempt at a championship record 2.42m but failed.
"The target for me for today was gold medal, if even the world record is the only thing I still miss," said Barshim, whose best of 2.43m is second only to Javier Sotomayor's 2.45m set in 1993.
"Three worlds golds in a row is something that has never have been done before. I feel like I have a name in our sport, but I have been never felt like the greatest one in the field," added the modest Qatari, who also has two Olympic silvers and a world silver to his name.
World indoor champion Woo Sang-hyeok of South Korea needed three attempts to get over 2.33m but then also cleared 2.35m at the second attempt to take silver. Ukraine's Andriy Protsenko collected bronze on the back of his 2.33m clearance.
Tamberi had a nervous path into the final, twice failing at 2.25m and then twice again at 2.28m in Friday's heats. In the final he failed twice at 2.30m but then cleared 2.33m at the second attempt before bowing out at 2.35m to finish fourth.
Lyles cruises in 200m heat
Reigning world champion Noah Lyles showed he is no mood to give up his 200 metres crown after setting a red-hot pace to win his heat on Monday.
Lyles rounded the curve with ease before wagging his finger at the rest of the field down the straight to finish in 19.98 seconds and advance to Tuesday's semi-finals.
Celebrating his 25th birthday, Olympic bronze medallist Lyles said he had jitters during the three-day wait to compete in front of the home crowd in Eugene.
His rivalry with fellow American Erriyon Knighton is expected to produce fireworks. Lyles denied the 18-year-old a place on the podium at the Tokyo Olympics and ran past him down the stretch to clinch the national championship last month, prompting Knighton to storm off during a post-race interview.
Knighton got off to an explosive start on Monday before easing up near the halfway mark and cruising to victory in his heat in 20.01.
"I cannot ask for more, I am at the spot where I want to be," said Knighton. "One of my best years, if not my best and I am just happy."
Alexander Ogando, who helped the Dominican Republic pick up gold in the 4x400m mixed relay on Friday, equalled Knighton's time in his heat, cruising past the US Olympic silver medallist Kenny Bednarek down the straight.
Two days after leading an American sweep of the 100m, Fred Kerley jogged through to the finish to win his heat but said he was "still in recovery mode".
Canadian Andre De Grasse, the Olympic champion who took silver at the worlds three years ago, withdrew from the 200m after failing to qualify for the 100m final on Saturday.
In the women's event, defending champion Dina Asher-Smith qualified for the 200m semi-final after running 22.56 seconds to come second in her heat just a day after finishing fourth in the 100m final despite equalling her British record of 10.83 seconds.