Istanbul: Justin Gatlin won his first title since returning from a four-year doping ban with victory in the 60 metres at the World Indoor Championships on Saturday as the red-hot Americans grabbed four gold medals and a world record in Istanbul.

Heptathlete Ashton Eaton bettered his world mark and further wins for high jumper Chaunte Lowe and 400 metres runner Sanya Ross-Richards took the US' gold medal tally to five.

Host nation Turkey had something to cheer with their first ever World Indoor medals, thanks to a second place for Kenyan-born Ilham Tanui Ozbilen in the men's 1,500 behind Morocco's Abdalaati Iguider and third for Asli Cakir Alptekin in the women's race, which was won by Genzebe Dibaba of Ethiopia.

Gatlin, who tested positive for testosterone in 2006, kept low out of the blocks and had edged clear of the field by the time he looked up to win the 60 metres title in 6.46.

"I'm just thankful. I wasn't trying to come back and do anything extraordinary, I just wanted to come back and be myself the way I left and I'm on the road to doing that," Gatlin told reporters. "I think I can go out there and dominate and win the fans back," the 2004 Olympic 100 metres champion added.

No joy for Jamaica

Nesta Carter took silver with a time of 6.54 as once again, Jamaica failed in their bid to win a first men's 60 title at the championships and Britain's Dwain Chambers settled for third in 6.60.

"I knew it was going to be tough with those guys. But to get back on the podium again is a great feeling. It shows that the old boy's still got it in the old legs," the 33-year-old said.

Eaton's heptathlon world record was his third since breaking Dan O'Brien's 17-year-old mark of 6,476 in March 2010.

The American was in imperious form, He had a 165-point-lead after Friday's four events. With the gold medal in the bag by the fifth, the 60m hurdles, Eaton was free to concentrate on the world mark. Needing to run two minutes 39.63 seconds or faster in the final discipline, the 1,000 metres, the 24-year-old shot off from the gun and crossed the line well clear of the field in 2:32.77.

"It feels good," Eaton said. "Coming into the competition, I knew I could break the world record."

Both multi-event records have been broken at this World Indoor Championships. Nataliya Dobrynska of Ukraine became the first woman to go over 5,000 points in the pentathlon on Friday with a total of 5,013.

Australian Sally Pearson made her trip worthwhile with gold in the 60 hurdles in a world leading time of 7.73. American-born Tiffany Porter was second.

Yamile Aldama, another foreign-born Briton, gave the country their first gold of the championships winning the triple jump.

Lowe became the first American to win the women's high jump title, clearing 1.98 but the silver was a three-way split between Russian Anna Chicherova, Antonietta Di Martino of Italy and Sweden's Ebba Jungmark after they all jumped 1.95 with identical records.

Women's marathon: Win dedicated to victims

Albina Mayorova of Russia came from behind to win the Nagoya women's marathon yesterday, dedicating her victory to the victims of the earthquake and tsunami which struck exactly one year ago.

The 34-year-old caught the group of eight front-runners at around the 35-kilometre mark and put on a spurt with just two kilometres to go to cross the finishing line in two hours 23 minutes 52 seconds.

"I'm really happy to win the race," Mayorova, who improved her personal best time of 2:25:35, said. "I want to dedicate this victory to the victims of the earthquake."

2004 Olympic gold medallist Mizuki Noguchi, once trailing the front group by more than 20 seconds, caught up shortly before the 30km point, with Mayorova joining the pack five kilometres later.

— AFP