ROME, Italy (AFP) — Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo outstripped Christian Coleman to win the 100-meter in impressive style at the Diamond League meeting in Rome on Friday.

Tebogo, the newly-crowned Olympic 200m champion, clocked 9.87 seconds for the victory, the 21-year-old having eased up and looked over at his rivals well before the finish line.

“This was one of my best 100m races,” the Botswanan said.

“Today, I had a great start and it made me think ‘Why did I not have one like this in the Olympic final?’”

Coleman, who failed to make the US team for the Paris Games, came in second in 9.92 seconds, with Paris bronze medallist Fred Kerley again in third (9.95 seconds).

Home favorite Marcell Jacobs, who won a shock gold in the Covid-delayed Tokyo Games in 2021 and came in fifth in Paris, looked to be struggling as he finished ninth and last in 10.20 seconds.

“Tonight I could not run faster than that,” Jacobs said.

“The race was not how I wanted it to be and I also did not want to risk an injury. I am not happy about this result, but it was really great to run here in Rome, in front of this wonderful home crowd.”

A high-quality field at the Stadio Olimpico, already host to a memorable European championships in June — when Jacobs defended his continental 100m crown, promised a couple of world records in danger.

But it proved not to be on at night.

Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon, who became the first woman to win three consecutive Olympic 1,500m titles in Paris, won the event in three minutes and 52.89 seconds.

That might have been faster, and closer to her own world record, had it not been for botched pace setting.

“The world record was not for today with the Olympics only two weeks ago,” Kipyegon said.