Despite being second on the all-time lists behind the world record holder Javier Sotomayor thanks to his 2014 clearance of 2.43 metres, Barshim had never won a global outdoor gold before tonight, although he was Olympic silver medallist behind Canada’s Derek Drouin in Rio de Janeiro last summer and won the world indoor title in 2014.

Finally the 26-year-old Qatari has earned the medal commensurate with his silken talent - and the result was never honestly in doubt as he secured his seventh successive victory of the season with five first-time clearances at 2.20m, 2.25m, 2.29m, 2.32m and 2.35m - the latter proving beyond any rival - before having an unsuccessful crack at 2.40m.

Barshim, who will, one hopes, defend his title on the home soil of Doha in two years' time.

Russia’s silver medallist Danil Lysenko, competing here as an athlete under a neutral banner, was the only other athlete who cleared 2.32m.

He was left needing to clear a lifetime best of 2.35m at his third and final attempt to deny Barshim the gold, and narrowly failed to do so.

Majd Eddin Ghazal of Syria, one of three men whose best was 2.29m, was a joyful figure as he took the bronze medal on countback from Edgar Rivera of Mexico and Mateusz Przybylko of Germany.

"My first big World Championships gold - I was so determined to win it," said Barshim.

"I was expecting it tonight so I am glad I managed to fulfil my target.

"Let's say, I was recovering last year.

"I did not want to put too much pressure on me but now I am back in shape and feel I can go even higher.

"I do not want to retire one day with the feeling that there is still something left."

Having scared the opposition to death with her opening effort of  69.30m, Perković - who took Olympic gold here for Croatia five years ago - slung her second effort out to 70.31m, extending her lead to almost five metres.

It was game over - although Australia’s Dani Stevens, who took unexpected World Championshiip gold as 21-year-old at Berlin in 2009, earned silver with an impressive sequence that ended with an Area record of 69.64m in her final round.

Stevens reclaimed her silver position from France’s Olympic silver medallist Melina Robert-Michon, who took the bronze medal, managing a best of 66.21m in the final round.

For a while it seemed useful to recall that the Championship record is 71.62m, set by Martina Hellman of the German Democratic Republic in Rome - 30 years ago.

In the event, Perković did not quite reach that territory. 

But it was an overwhelming performance as she reclaimed the title she had won at Moscow in 2013.

"I really enjoyed this competition like I never did before," said Perković.

"I am happy to get my world title back.

"My goal today was to throw over 70 metres because that I was sure that would be a medal mark.

"I was confident in my power and in myself from the first attempt.

"I knew I had things to improve and I did it by trying to be quicker and quicker in the circle.

"That gave me the result."

Stevens, meanwhile, was hardly less happy.

"I am in utopia right now - I am so excited," she said.

"Everything came together at the right moment.

"Last year in Rio I came fourth, so I wanted to improve on that."