Usain Bolt of Jamaica reacts after winning the men's 200m final during the 15th IAAF World Championships at the National Stadium in Beijing, China August 27, 2015.[Photo/Agencies]

Bolt and Gatlin had only faced each other once before in a 200 metres race, at the 2005 world championships in Helsinki where the American claimed his first world title in the event and teenager Bolt finished last.

That was the year before Gatlin, having just matched the world record, tested positive for a banned substance for a second time and was suspended for four years.

Gatlin, 33, had gone unbeaten since 2013 in both sprints coming to Beijing and his was the world leading time that Bolt bettered to take the title.

"Usain Bolt's a legend, man," said Britain's Zharnel Hughes, who finished fifth in a personal best time of 20.02 at his first major championships.

"Even myself, I even doubted him a bit. But Bolt is phenonmenal. He knows what to do when it comes to major championships. All credit to him."

Turkey's Ramil Guliyevs (20.11) was sixth ahead of Femi Ogunode of Qatar (20.27) with Bolt's compatriot Nickel Ashmeade bringing up the rear in 20.33.