BELGRADE (AFP) - Italy's Lamont Marcell Jacobs added the world indoor 60m crown to his Olympic 100m title as he scorched to victory in track's shortest event in Belgrade on Saturday (March 19).

Jacobs timed 6.41 seconds, producing a savage, perfectly-timed dip at the line to nudge ahead of defending champion Christian Coleman of the United States.

Coleman's teammate Marvin Bracy claimed bronze in 6.44sec.

Jacobs, wearing a blue singlet and shorts, was drawn in lane five outside Bracy, with Coleman in three.

The trio were all fast out of their blocks, Coleman taking a slight lead as they fired down the bright blue track at the Stark Arena.

But Jacobs' bigger physical frame kicked into action from 40 metres, the Italian gaining pace on the two smaller Americans.

Then came the coup de grace: a majestic dip worthy of a top sprinter that sealed gold by three-thousandths of a second from Coleman.

“I thought I had it, I really did,” lamented Coleman.

“He (Jacobs) was two lanes away so I couldn’t see him that well. I knew we both dipped at the same time.

“It was a close thing. I can’t win them all. I feel like I put up as good a fight as I could.

“It’s a world-class event with a world class field so to come out with a silver I feel good about it.” 

The American, who had won the 60m at the 2018 world indoors in Birmingham and the 100m at the world outdoors in Doha a year later, is making his comeback from an 18-month ban for contravening anti-doping rules.

He had been aiming to become the third male athlete to win two world indoor 60m titles after Canada's Bruny Surin (1993, 1995) and American Justin Gatlin (2003, 2012).

But it was not to be as Jacobs' power and endurance right through to the line shone through in emphatic style.

It was just rewards for the Italian, who had competed in the long jump at the European indoors in Belgrade in 2017 before switching to sprints a year later after failing to qualify for the final.