Berlin  - Allyson Felix restored American sprint pride when she beat Olympic champion Veronica Campbell-Brown of Jamaica for a third straight 200 metres world title on Friday night.

LaShawn Merritt added the world title to Olympic gold in the 400m when he beat Jeremy Wariner again, but there was also bad news for the US when the men's 4x100m relay was disqualified for a faulty baton exchange.

The Jamaican relay advanced while resting superstar Usain, who got a nice rendition of Happy Birthday from the 43,000 fans as he collected his 200m gold medal on the day he turned 23.

Russia's Yaroslav Rybakov got high jump gold at last after three silvers, on countback over three others, Dani Samuels was a surprise discus champion for Australia and Sergey Kirdyapkin won his second 50km walk gold in the morning.

A thunderstorm led to delays in the evening programme and the cool temperatures allowed no fast times.

Felix ran away from her rival on the home stretch and clocked 22.02 seconds for her 200m victory. Campbell-Brown took silver like in 2007 in 22.35 seconds and the bronze went to Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie of the Bahamas in 22.41 seconds.

It was the first sprint win of the US over the Jamaicans since 2007 as Usain Bolt and company dominated the Americans 5-0 at the Beijing Olympics 2008 and led 3-0 in Berlin from Bolt's double and Shelly-Ann Fraser's 100m win.

"I focus on myself and to bring the gold to the United States. The rivalry is fun, exciting. Veronica and I are going back and fourth. She brings out the best in me.

"It is extremely special to win here," she added in reference to the four Olympic golds icon Jesse Owens won in the stadium at the 1936 Olympics.

But Jamaica wrapped up the sprint series in its favour again when an appeals panel turned down a US protest against the relay disqualification. The US can now only beat them in the women's relay.

The British team protested that the final exchange between Sean Crawford and Darvis Patton was completed outside the exchange zone, which was granted by race officials and upheld by the appeal body.

The US team, which dropped the baton at the Olympics, originally won the heat in 37.97 seconds to make Saturday's final. Britain came second in the race and went through as well.

Olympic champs Jamaica flirtet with disaster when Lerone Clarke only barely connected with Michael Frater on the first exchange as the team clocked a modest 38.60 seconds for a place in the final.

There Bolt will be back as he aims to complete the same title and world record treble he got at the Olympics last year. In Berlin, Bolt won 100m gold in 9.58 and the 200m title in 19.19 seconds.

Merritt completed the changing of the guard against two-time defending champion Wariner in the stadium where he beat him first at the 2008 Golden League meet.

Merritt won in world leading 44.06 seconds as Wariner faded on the home stretch to clock 44.60 seconds. Renny Quow of Trinidad and Tobago was third in 45.02 seconds.

"last year was big for me after silver in 2008. I stayed hungry," said Merritt. "I set the race up nicely and knew what I had to do."

Wariner admitted that defeat was hard: "It is difficult to surrender."

The high jump suffered badly from the conditions with only four athletes clearing 2.28m - and then 2.32.

Rybakov won on countback from Kyriakos Ioannou, with Raul Spank from hosts Germany sharing the bronze with Sylwetser Bednarek of Poland.

Samuels steadily improved in the discus to win with a personal best fifth attempt of 65.44m. Yarelis Barrios of Cuba came close on her final throw but had to settle for second with 65.31m, with Nicoleta Grasu of Romania third on 65.20m.

Kirdyapkin came from behind to win the walk at the Brandenburg Gate in 3:38:35 hours, his second gold following 2005. The 29-year-old won from Trond Nymark of Norway (3:41:16). Spanish veteran Jesus Angel Garcia took bronze 3:41:37 to go with 1993 gold and 1997 and 2001 bronze.

Kirdyapkin's victory completed a historic sweep for Russia in the walk events after Valeriy Borchin and Olga Kaniskina won the 20km events. All three athletes train under famous coach Viktor Chyegin.

"I am very happy that our Russian team made this record," said Kirdyapkin, whose wife Anisya Kirdyapkina just missed a medal in fourth place in the women's walk.

Defending champion Tatyana Lebedeva and Olympic champion Maureen Maggi of Brazil qualified for the long jump final and so did holder Tero Patkamaki of Finland and two-time Olympic champ Andreas Thorkidsen of Norway in the men's javelin.

But Olympic champion Nancy Jebet Langat of Kenya as she was eliminated in the women's 1,500m semis and Abubaker Kaki suffered disaster again as the rising Sudanese 800m runner clipped his own heel in leading position to go out like at the Olympics.

Saturday's finals are the men's marathon, 4x100m relay, pole vault and long jump, and the women's 5,000m, 4x100m and hammer throw. (dpa)