Christian Coleman sees off world champion Noah Lyles to win gold in the 60m final at the World Athletics Indoor Championships… his first major title since returning from an 18-month ban for missing three drugs tests

The villain conquered the hero on Friday night as Christian Coleman held off American rival Noah Lyles to win world indoor gold in Glasgow.

Coleman clocked 6.41sec in the 60metres final for his first major title since returning from an 18-month ban for missing three drug tests.

It meant crowd favourite Lyles, the world 100m and 200m champion, had to settle for silver in 6.44sec, in what was a warning of the threat his countryman will pose him at the Paris Olympics.

This was not the result the Scottish fans or the sport wanted. Yet it whet the appetite for what is to come this summer, as their rivalry has echoes of the good-versus-evil battle between Usain Bolt and drug cheat Justin Gatlin which dominated the previous decade.

Lyles actually beat Coleman – the world 60m record holder and 2018 indoor champion – in the US trials last month. Yet he never looked like repeating that trick at the Emirates Arena on Friday night.

For Coleman, it was the first major title he has won since he returned after serving an 18-month ban for missing three drugs tests 

Coleman (right) said he was ‘happy to secure the win’ and set his sights on the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris

Coleman was the quickest qualifier from the heats and semi-finals, and he led the final from start to finish, making up for his fifth place behind Lyles in the world 100m final in Budapest last summer.

‘I think I am the greatest 60m runner ever, but the exciting part is that my ceiling is so much higher,’ said the 27-year-old, whose anti-doping ban ruled him out of Tokyo 2020.

‘It is 2024 and I am stepping into my prime mentally, physically and spiritually. I am going to have to be on my A-game and I feel confident I will be there come the Olympics.’

Lyles, who finished strongly to take the silver ahead of Jamaican Ackeem Blake, said: ‘That’s the second fastest time I’ve ever produced. ‘I have increased the worst part of my race by drastic numbers. They should be scared of me.’

Earlier in the evening, Georgia Bell qualified second fastest for Sunday’s 1500m final in 4:04.39 on her senior Great Britain debut.

Georgia bell qualified second fastest for Sunday’s 1500m final in her senior debut for Great Britian

The 30-year-old (right) has a full-time job in cyber security but admitted she could give it up to focus on qualifying for the Olympics 

Morgan Lake missed out on a major medal as she finished sixth in the women’s high jump  

The 30-year-old has a full-time job in cyber security and said earlier this week she could give it up to concentrate on qualifying at Olympics, causing some panic back in her London office.

‘I got a lot of emails from work saying, “What’s going on? Anything you want to tell us?”,’ admitted Bell.

Meanwhile, Morgan Lake missed out on a major medal once again as she finished sixth in a women’s high jump won by Australian Nicola Olyslagers.