Record-setter Ashton, Gatlin lead US indoor medal charge Justin Gatlin of the US after his gold-medal winning run in the men's 60m fin...

Record-setter Ashton, Gatlin lead US indoor medal charge

Justin Gatlin of the US after his gold-medal winning run in the men's 60m final at the World Indoor Athletics Championships in Istanbul on Saturday. Osman Orsal / Reuters

Record-setting heptathlete Ashton Eaton and sprinter Justin Gatlin led a US gold medal charge on the second day of the World Indoor Athletics Championships on Saturday.

Eaton obliterated his own indoor heptathlon world record and Gatlin stormed to the 60m title as teammates Sanya Richards-Ross (400m) and Chaunte Lowe (high jump) also claimed golds as the US team consolidated its place atop the medals table.

Eaton racked up 6,645 points from the seven disciplines at the Atakoy Arena to better his own record of 6,568 points set at the Tallinn international indoor event in February last year.

"It feels good," said Eaton after negotiating his way past the 100m (6.79 sec), long jump (8.16m), shot put (14.56m), high jump (2.03m), 60m hurdles (7.68 sec), pole vault (5.20m) and 1000m (2:32.77).

"Coming into the competition, I knew I could break the world record. The competition was solid, everything was good and I didn't have a bad event."

Gatlin took another step toward redemption after a 4-year doping ban by comprehensively winning the 60m.

The 2004 Athens Olympics 100m gold medalist and 2003 world indoor sprint champion powered out of his blocks and led the field through from gun to tape, timing an impressive 6.46sec.

Jamaican relay specialist Nesta Carter took silver with defending champion Dwain Chambers of Britain, who has also served a 2-year doping ban, content with bronze.

"I came here to dominate and I wanted to follow up," said Gatlin. "I just had to make sure that once the gun sounded, I went out.

"I won the the 2003 world indoors in Birmingham with exactly the same time and it feels great to be back."

The bronze medal could not have come at a better time for Chambers as he waits for the court case that will decide his fate at this summer's London Olympic Games.

Australian Sally Pearson replicated the form that bagged her the world outdoor high hurdles title to scoop gold in the 60m hurdles.

The current IAAF Female Athlete of the year timed a blistering 7.73 sec to well and truly set down her marker ahead of the Olympics.

"I felt the pressure but I was in fantastic shape. And I was ready," said Pearson.

US-born Briton Tiffany Porter took silver and while many cynics dubbed her an opportunistic "plastic Brit" for her late change of nationality, she will now go to the Games as one of the home nation's medal hopes.

Another joining her in that bracket will be Cuban-born Yamile Aldama, who previously competed for Cuba and Sudan before switching allegiance to the British flag in February 2010: she won gold in the triple jump at the age of 39.