Alex Dickerson hammered a grand slam as the San Francisco Giants won 11-8 over the Arizona Diamondbacks in the MLB on Monday.

Leading 3-1 at the top of the fifth inning, Dickerson hit Diamondbacks right-hander J.B. Bukauskas over at right-field with bases loaded.

It was Dickerson's third career grand slam, having crushed one on his memorable franchise debut two years ago.

The home run was only Dickerson's 10th of 2021, with only 28 RBI this season.

The table topping Giants led 7-1 but the Diamondbacks, bottom of the National League West, stormed back after two-run shots from Josh Reddick and Asdrubal Cabrera.

Wilmer Flores homered to make it 8-5 before Arizona tied it up after three runs in the seventh inning off reliever Jay Jackson.

In the 10th inning, Buster Posey drove in Brandon Crawford, before two more runs, with Jarlin Garcia closing it out.

Brinson grand slam, Escobar HR home debut

Lewis Brinson hit a first-innings grand slam to lead the Miami Marlins to a 6-3 win over the New York Mets. With bases loaded, Brinson drove it out over right-field.

New acquisition Eduardo Escobar marked his home debut with a three-run home run in the Milwaukee Brewers' 6-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Right-hander Jorge Lopez allowed one hit across six innings as the Baltimore Orioles won 7-1 over the New York Yankees.

Andy Ibanez made an incredible sliding stop at second base with a throw to first in the Texas Rangers' 4-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels.

Rays brushed aside by Mariners

The Tampa Bay Rays (64-43) may be top of the American League East but they were humbled 8-2 by the Seattle Mariners (57-50) after conceding five runs in the third inning. It was not a good shift on the mound for Michael Wacha, allowing eight hits in four innings.

Guerrero tops the charts

Vladimir Guerrero Jr hit a two-run home run to tie it up in the Toronto Blue Jays' 5-2 loss to the Cleveland Indians. Guerrero now has an league high 82 runs and 85 RBI, while he is second behind only Shohei Ohtani for most home runs, with 34.

Monday's results 

Cleveland Indians 5-2 Toronto Blue Jays
Philadelphia Phillies 7-5 Washington Nationals
Baltimore Orioles 7-1 New York Yankees
Miami Marlins 6-3 New York Mets
Seattle Mariners 8-2 Tampa Bay Rays
Texas Rangers 4-1 Los Angeles Angels
Milwaukee Brewers 6-2 Pittsburgh Pirates
San Francisco Giants 11-8 Arizona Diamondbacks

Astros at Dodgers

World champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers (64-43) will host the Houston Astros (64-42) in a blockbuster rivalry meeting.

Raven Saunders could still face punishment for her crossed-arms 'X' political protest on the Olympic Games podium, despite USA team officials clearing her of any wrongdoing.

The shot put silver medallist raised her arms above her head in a pose she said represented "the intersection of where all people who are oppressed meet".

Saunders, who is black and gay, has been backed by the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC), but that is not the end of the matter.

The USOPC said in a statement on Monday: "Per the USOPC's delegation terms, the USOPC conducted its own review and determined that Raven Saunders' peaceful expression in support of racial and social justice that happened at the conclusion of the ceremony was respectful of her competitors and did not violate our rules related to demonstration."

Yet political statements on the medal podium are not permitted at Tokyo 2020, even though rules on such actions have been relaxed elsewhere by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

In the wake of the USOPC remarks, the IOC was seeking further answers from the Americans on Tuesday.

Mark Adams, the IOC spokesperson, said in a briefing: "We've seen their public opinion and we're in touch with them.

"We've written a letter asking for some further information, to be able to evaluate the next steps, if any, that should be taken.

"Obviously, the Games are held under the Olympic charter and the rules of the Olympic movement, so let's wait to see what clarification we get from USOPC."

It seems unimaginable that the IOC would take any drastic action, given the outcry that would follow.

Saunders tweeted on Sunday: "Let them try and take this medal. I'm running across the border even though I can't swim."

The Olympic Games has seen few such protests on podiums. Perhaps the most notable was the 'Black Power' salute by Tommie Smith and John Carlos, gold and bronze medallists respectively in the 200 metres at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, when both raised a black-gloved fist as the US national anthem was played.

Both were expelled from the Games but got to keep their medals.

Tennis great and long-time equal rights activist Billie Jean King has backed Saunders, writing on Twitter: "Her gesture was meaningful and respectful. There is nothing for the IOC to investigate."

Hosting an Olympic Games at any time can be a logistical nightmare. Doing so during the height of a deadly pandemic only exacerbates the difficulties.

For example, how do you go about trying to appease a largely Olympic-sceptic city like Tokyo, whose residents were fearful of the effect welcoming thousands of athletes, officials and world's media would have in increasing coronavirus infection rates.

Stats Perform's man on the ground, Peter Hanson, provides a look at how travel is working at Tokyo 2020 to assuage the fears of the locals, and a behind-the-scenes glimpse of his journeys to the arenas he has visited.

BUSES, BUSES AND MORE BUSES...

Let's start with a secret.

This isn't my first time in Tokyo. I actually visited here seven years ago with a couple of American friends. The three of us had recently been in Bangkok for our buddy's Thai wedding and had decided to make the hop across to continue our travel adventure.

My overriding memories of that first jaunt were just how futuristic it felt, the signs and billboards burning bright LED lights directly into my quickly faltering retinas. For a major city, I remember also thinking how clean the place was. I'm a big fan of city dwelling – but most can be a little untidy in places.

The other thing that sticks out is how absolutely hopeless I was at navigating my way around. This is nothing new, I can barely get around the streets of Sheffield and Rotherham – the places I have lived my entire 31 years – back in England without needing to follow Google Maps. Luckily for me, my travel companions are not quite so directionally challenged, so I largely just hopped on whatever subway they did and didn't ask questions...

So, when I first got asked if I'd like to cover these Games my first reaction was "yes, absolutely". My second was "better start saving up for three weeks' worth of Ubers".

But these are pandemic times, and pandemic times call for pandemic measures. There are rules in place and restrictions to follow, and one of the great logistical challenges Tokyo 2020 organisers have faced is how to ferry around hordes of the world's media while restricting their interactions with locals – many of whom were not keen on hosting the Olympics at all – during the Games.

I have to say, the end result has been pretty impressive. As soon as you enter the departure hall at the airport, you are ferried onto a shuttle bus, taken to a taxi rank being held inside a huge car park around 20 minutes away, popped into a taxi and driven straight to your hotel.

For someone as dense with directions as I am, this was a bit of a relief.

But that was just the first problem to solve. For the first 14 days of your visit to Tokyo, you have to agree not to go anywhere other than your hotel or to Games-specific locations in a previously agreed Activity Plan.

For that fortnight you are also told not to take public transport anywhere. To solve this issue, Tokyo 2020 has created quite the travel network.

The media transport mall at the media centre is connected to nearly all the Games venues. There are over 30 terminals (not quite like you would see in a normal indoor bus depot – rather a series of stops in a huge outdoor space with sort of crudely constructed tents to keep you sheltered should it rain).

Approximately a third of these stops are connected to a list of Tokyo 2020-approved hotels, running buses to our accommodation 24 hours a day (although, understandably, between midnight and 6am these run much less frequently). 

The rest ship us off to the Games venues, with drop-off points roughly a five-minute walk to the various media centres.

It is not the only way to get around a city still under a state of emergency. Tokyo 2020 has created the Transport by Chartered Taxi system, whereby you can book Games-specific vehicles to cart you around to the desired location.

After that initial two weeks, you are technically allowed to use public transport (and are provided a travel pass to do so) but actively encouraged to keep using the media network to limit social interactions with the regular public.

MARVELLING AT THE MEDIA CENTRE

One of the things I was most looking to when entering Japan was seeing the media centre.

Okay, sure, partly because I'd been couped up in quarantine for three days and the escape from the four walls of my hotel room was a blessed relief.

But mostly because I was itching to see for the first time what a media centre for an Olympics looks like.

Once taking the bus from the hotel to the media centre, getting in is quite a smooth process. The media complex – which adjoins to the broadcasting centre – is so big that from the transport mall you have to take a shuttle bus. From there, you undergo a temperature check, lower your mask so the security cameras can get a good look at your face, and scan your accreditation card before waiting nervously for the green light to give recognition you are an approved member of the media.

The first impression was just how big the complex is. There are rows upon rows of hot desks, all with plug sockets and LAN cables, while every which way you turn there are TV monitors showing a variety of different events.

There are private offices everywhere (for the likes of the IOC and British Olympics association), medical rooms to drop off PCR tests, help desks for everything from tech woes to transport, food courts, cafes, fancy-looking vending machines…you name it, over several vast floors it's (probably) got it.

TRIBUNE TRAVAILS AT THE AQUATICS CENTRE

The sad thing about the Tokyo Aquatics Centre is the fact it serves as a reminder that these are the Games that could have been.

Opened in February 2020 close to Tokyo Bay, it is a hugely impressive structure that holds approximately 15,000 spectators – sadly, save for the pockets of athletes cheering on their team-mates, these seats are not in use and the bright-blue glow of the pool and the huge screens present an almost eerie feeling without the packed rafters.

My first trip there was an exciting one, though. It would act as my first "live" view of these Games and I got to witness TeamGB's first gold medal of Tokyo 2020 thanks to Adam Peaty, and caught most of Tom Daley's emotional triumph in the men's synchronised 10 metre diving.

It's a process much like the media centre to get in, only here you have a physical thermometer placed on your forehead to check you don't have a temperature. But as at all the venues you do go through airport-style checks before heading down to the media. It was at the aquatics centre I was asked to taste the bottle of water in my bag and, even though I knew it wasn't possible, I did start to panic and wonder what if it had been poisoned…

It hadn't of course and off I popped down the road towards the media area, which for the aquatics centre is a long tent that also adjoins to the press conference room.

So far so good. My issue came again with my aforementioned navigation skills. My friends back home call me 'Captain Direction' I'm that hopeless with them (okay, that's a nickname I actually gave myself but still…). The problem I encountered was trying to find my appropriate area in the media tribune, walking through about 10 different doors, and walking up and down several hefty flights of stairs before I reached the conclusion that I had probably been in the right place from the start…

INSPIRED BY SIMONE AT THE GYMNASTICS CENTRE

Before I travelled to Tokyo, I had a rough idea in my head of some of the things I wanted to do. One at the very top of my priority list was seeing Simone Biles live in the gymnastics.

So, on the first Tuesday of the Games I managed to get a high-demand ticket for the Ariake Gymnastics Centre to watch the final of the women's team event.

The trip there was probably my favourite, because unlike a lot of the other buses that serve just a single venue, this one was bit of a stadium hop around Ariake – a district of Koto in Tokyo.

Before I made it as far as the gymnastics centre, I was treated to a look at the Ariake Tennis Park – where there was a deep temptation to jump off and try and catch a glimpse of Novak Djokovic or Naomi Osaka – and Ariake Arena, where the volleyball was being held. 

Eventually, I arrived at the gymnastics centre – an impressive temporary venue, which after the Games will be turned into a 12,000 seater sporting arena, and went through the now customary protocols to get inside.

Unlike my first journey to the aquatics centre, finding my way around here was an absolute breeze. All of the media facilities are inside the building, and there are signs pretty much every few yards directing you to the tribune.

I should at this point make another admission. I don't know the first thing about gymnastics. In fact, when I was at school I was so hopelessly bad at the sport in P.E. or gym or whatever you call it where you are, that my "routine" consisted of a shambolic forward roll and jazz hands. In my defence I was short, stocky, not particularly agile and carrying about 20lbs extra weight. All of those things still stand true today.

But it was too good an opportunity to pass up and it seemed the same for a lot of people in there. I sat next to a journalist from Denmark (whose son by the way is named Peter Hansen – hello Spider-Man meme!) who was there for the exact same reason as me, to see Biles in person.

There was no way to predict what came next, with this genuine living legend managing just one rotation before sitting out the rest of the event. She later revealed she has been contending with mental health issues.

Sitting in the news conference room, it was impossible not be completely full of admiration for this frank admission. Her bravery to send that message, I think, is more important than any achievement she has in gymnastics.

DISCOVERING THE OLYMPICS STADIUM

Another on my bucket list for this trip was obviously to check out the Olympics Stadium. I decided to book in for the athletics at the first opportunity and go to the morning session last Friday.

By that point, I'd been in Tokyo for 10 days and the long days and sleepless nights had taken their toll…so my first journey there I can't recall too much to you because I took a decent snooze on the 30-minute trip.

But, when I got there my initial thought was wow. I absolutely love sports stadia, you can't be a sports-obsessed kid like I was and not. I've seen some impressive arenas in my time – Wembley, Soccer City in Johannesburg, Yankees Stadium…Hillsborough.

And this is right up there among the best I've been to. Only, after that initial buzz I must say I was almost overwhelmed by a sudden sadness. 

I think maybe because at the other venues I'd visited I was so one-track minded in what I wanted to do whereas my first visit here was more about finding my bearings and preparing for a busy week to come. 

I remember going to one of the morning sessions at London 2012 and the Olympic Stadium was absolutely packed. It was weird seeing this place (with a capacity of 68,000) empty knowing it would stay that way for the rest of the Games, and knowing that really it deserved better.

Karsten Warholm revelled in the "wow" factor of his astonishing 400 metres hurdles triumph as the world record was obliterated at the Tokyo Olympics.

The 25-year-old Norwegian ran 45.94 seconds, breaking the record for a second time in five weeks, after Kevin Young previously held the global mark for 29 years.

"I didn't touch one hurdle. I was even able to find another gear coming home, so 'wow'," Warholm said.

"It's just so big. It's almost like history here. It was the only thing missing from my collection. I had a World Championships [gold medal]. I had European Championships, I had the world record, the European record.

"The Olympic gold medal is what everybody talks about. I knew this race was going to be the toughest of my life, but I was ready."

The top three in the race all went under 47 seconds and beat the previous Olympic record, with silver for American Rai Benjamin in 46.17 and bronze going to Brazilian Alison dos Santos in 46.72.

Warholm ran 46.70 in Oslo at the start of July to slash 0.08 seconds off Young's long-standing record, which was set at the Barcelona Olympics.

There were many ways to dissect the magnitude of this latest record, and one was to look at how the world record shifted by just 0.75 seconds from Ed Moses running 47.45 in 1977 until Warholm's 46.70 in July.

To now scythe a further 0.76 seconds off the all-time mark represented a staggering achievement.

"I mean, man it’s so crazy. It’s by far the biggest moment of my life," Warholm said.

"It defines everything, all the hours I put in, everything that my coach has been working for.

"I dream about it like a maniac, I tell you. I sleep all night on it. I spend all my time thinking about this, so just getting this last medal into my collection, it’s complete.

"I can't sleep. I've spent thousands of hours thinking about this.

"I had this special feeling in my chest, you know when you are nervous. I was just thinking this is the feeling that I had when I was six years old. I've never had that feeling since I got older, but yesterday I had it."

Warholm had a healthy lead heading into the final 150 metres but came under pressure from Benjamin over the final two barriers, the gap closing.

The 25-year-old from Ulsteinvik held his nerve and maintained his rhythm, though, sprinting away to post a record that could stand for many years to come.

Some even compared it to Bob Beamon's 1968 long jump world record in Mexico City, which stood for 23 years and remains the second longest leap of all time.

Benjamin was reduced to tears after the race, having delivered the performance of his life but still finished on the second step of the podium

"Knowing that you want to be the best, this is what it costs. It's hard. It hurts. But it is what it is," Benjamin said.

"I always give myself 24 hours to process things. Right now I am just full of emotion. I have worked so hard. This is what matters. I got a medal but it just hurts to lose."

He added: "I'm a dog. I'm a fighter. It's my first Olympics. I made some mistakes that cost me, but it's all right. I'll fix it."

Ninth seed Alison Riske defeated former top 10 player CoCo Vanderweghe in the opening round of the Silicon Valley Classic in straight sets on Monday.

Riske, who made the Wimbledon quarter-finals in 2019 and is currently ranked 37th in the world, won 6-3 6-4 in one hour and 28 minutes.

In a match which saw eight breaks converted, Riske's ability to win on her first serve proved the difference.

Vanderweghe, who made the Silicon Valley Classic finals in 2012 and 2017, was broken five times and won 58.1 per cent of first serve points.

Croatian sixth seed Petra Martic eased into the second round with a 6-3 6-3 victory over Anastasija Sevastova.

Martic will face Magda Linette next, after the Pole accounted for Dutch qualifier Lesley Kerkhove 6-3 6-3.

Ana Konjuh defeated Marie Bouzkova in a three-set epic which last two hours and 41 minutes, winning 7-5 3-6 7-5.

China's Zhang Shuai won over Emma Raducanu in straight sets, along with Carolina Garcia who defeated Emina Bektas.

Karsten Warholm set a massive world record in the men's 400 metres hurdles as the Norwegian landed gold at the Tokyo Olympics.

He became the first man to dip under 46 seconds, setting a startling time of 45.94 seconds as he fended off American Rai Benjamin, who clocked 46.17.

The top three in the race all went under 47 seconds and beat the previous Olympic record, with bronze going to Brazilian Alison dos Santos in 46.72.

Warholm was already the world record holder, setting a time of 46.70secs in Oslo at the start of July to break the previous best of 46.78 that had been held by Kevin Young since the 1992 Barcelona Olympics..

Now he has demolished his own mark, helped by being pushed all the way by Benjamin.

Warholm had a healthy lead heading into the final 150 metres but then came under pressure from the USA star over the final two barriers, the gap closing.

The 25-year-old from Ulsteinvik held his nerve and maintained his rhythm, though, sprinting away to post a record that could stand for many years to come.

All three medallists went under the previous Olympic record.

Gold in the women's long jump went to Germany's Malaika Mihambo, whose final-round effort of 7.00 metres saw her edge ahead of America Brittney Reese and NIgerian Ese Brume, the silver and bronze medallists, who both posted best leaps of 6.97m.

Young American Jenson Brooksby claimed some revenge for last month's Hall of Fame Open final defeat to Kevin Anderson by beating the South African 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 in the Citi Open first round on Monday.

Brooksby, who received a wildcard for the draw, triumphed in one hour and 49 mnutes against the former world number five.

The 20-year-old American saved a set point at 5-6 in the first set, before winning in a tiebreaker off the back of winning six consecutive points having trailed 1-4.

Former City Open finalist Anderson, who sent down 10-1 aces, had defeated Brooksby to win the Hall of Fame Open last month.

World number 130 Brooksby, who had started the season outside the top 300, claimed the crucial break in the eighth game of the second set.

Brooksby advances to take on American Francis Tiafoe, fresh from competing at Tokyo 2020, as numerous big names enter the draw for the second round.

Kei Nishikori, who won in Washington in 2015, got past American Sam Querrey 6-4 6-3 to set up a second round meeting with Kazakhstani ninth seed Alexander Bublik.

American Jack Sock will take on top seed Rafael Nadal in the second round after he got past Yoshihito Nishioka in a walkover 6-7 (3-7) 4-0.

Former top 20 player Andreas Seppi triumphed in three sets against Yasutaka Uchiyama while Canadian tour veteran Vasek Pospisil got past Emilio Gomez in three.

Ilya Ivashka, Marcos Giron, Ricardas Berankas and Daniel Galan were the other first round winners on Monday.

Kyle Lowry is set to leave the Toronto Raptors to join the Miami Heat after the 35-year-old point guard revealed the free agency move on social media.

The six-time NBA All-Star, who has been with the Raptors since 2012, will reportedly join the Heat on a three-year deal. The deal marks the start of the NBA free agency period.

Lowry announced the deal on Twitter, posting "Miami Heat x Kyle Lowry Let's goo!!"

ESPN claims the deal is worth approximately $90 million, completing via a sign-and-trade with the Raptors.

Lowry holds records for most assists, most three-point field goals and three-point attempts for Raptors and is widely viewed as the best player in franchise history. He was part of the Toronto side which won the 2019 NBA title.

The veteran played in 601 games after joining Toronto in July 2012, behind only DeMar DeRozan (675) on their all-time list. 

Lowry averaged 17.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game in the 2020-21 NBA season.

The Heat reached the NBA postseason in 2020-21 but fell in the first round 4-0 to eventual champions, the Milwaukee Bucks.

Roma have completed the signing of Eldor Shomurodov from Serie A rivals Genoa.

The Uzbekistan forward has made the move to the Stadio Olimpico on a five-year deal, with Roma paying Genoa an initial fee of €17.5 million.

As part of the transfer, Genoa have retained the right to a percentage of any profit made from a future sale of Shomurodov.

"Joining Roma represents a huge step forward in my career – I will do everything I can to show I deserve this opportunity and to demonstrate what I can do at one of the biggest clubs in the world," Shomurodov told Roma's official website.

"The speed in which this deal was agreed is testament to my desire to be able to join up with the coach and my new team-mates and get to work as soon as possible.”

Shomurodov scored eight goals in 31 league appearances for Genoa last season, outperforming his expected goals (xG) of 5.8 from 39 shots.

He also created 20 chances but only one of those led to an assist.

Roma will begin their first Serie A campaign under Jose Mourinho with a home game against Fiorentina on August 22.

Monaco have confirmed the arrival of Brazilian midfielder Jean Lucas from fellow Ligue 1 side Lyon.

The 23-year-old has signed a five-year deal at the Stade Louis II and is reported to have cost Monaco €11million.

Jean Lucas spent two seasons with Lyon but made just 25 appearances for Les Gones in all competitions and was loaned to Brest for the second half of last season.

He has 67 top-flight games under his belt in Brazil and France, having also previously played for Flamengo and Santos, scoring three goals and assisting five more across those matches.

Monaco announced the signing on their official website on Monday and Jean Lucas said: "I am proud to join AS Monaco, one of the biggest clubs in Ligue 1. 

"The club had a great season and will be fighting for a place in the Champions League group stage. I am happy to have the opportunity to contribute to this sort of growth." 

Monaco begin their 2021-22 campaign on Tuesday with the first leg of their Champions League third-qualifying round tie against Sparta Prague.

Giorgio Chiellini is convinced Massimiliano Allegri is the right man to reclaim the Scudetto for Juventus following the failed Andrea Pirlo experiment.

Celebrated former midfielder Pirlo failed to guide the Bianconeri to a 10th successive Serie A title last season and was sacked in May, before the halfway point of a two-year deal.

Allegri was named as Pirlo's successor on the same day for a second spell in charge, having previously guided Juve to five league titles, four Coppas Italia and two Champions League finals.

Juve amassed 142 wins in their 190 league games under Allegri – only Giovanni Trapattoni has overseen more matches – giving him a win percentage of 74.74, clear of second-placed Antonio Conte (72.81), who managed 83 triumphs from 114 matches.

During his five seasons with Juve, Allegri suffered just 20 league defeats, with his team scoring 380 goals and conceding 125 in return, averaging 2.39 points per game.

Allegri is responsible for three of the seven Juventus seasons during which they have netted 100 goals or more, meanwhile, alongside Pirlo, Conte and Jesse Carver.

Chiellini was a part of that successful period at the club and will likely play a key role in this latest new era for Juventus after penning a two-year contract extension on Monday.

Allegri's immediate aim is to win back the title from Inter, while also seeing off competition from the likes of Milan and Atalanta, and experienced centre-back Chiellini is ready to do his bit.

"I am happy to see him again," Chiellini told Juventus TV. "He gave me and everyone a great deal. 

"I've kept in contact with the lads, and they've told me he's really fired up for the start of the season. I'm convinced he is the right man to take this team back to the top and create a new cycle.

"I am here to give my contribution, above all on the field, but off it too."

Chiellini has made 535 appearances for Juventus since joining in 2004 but has played just 21 times in Serie A since the start of 2019-20, partly due to injury.

He showed his quality at Euro 2020 as he helped Italy to their first continental crown in 53 years, starting five of the Azzurri's seven matches in the tournament.

The Livorno product produced six clearances, which was four more than any other Italy player, while also leading the way for interceptions (three) and aerial duels (seven).

After putting an end to potential retirement talk by putting pen to paper with Juve, Chiellini is now eyeing up a place in Italy's World Cup squad for Qatar 2022.

"The World Cup is just over a year away, so we'll see," he said. "I always want to enjoy every moment and to think of the present. 

"If I am fortunate enough to be in good shape and able to participate in the World Cup, then I'll be happy. If I don't, then I'll be happy anyway.

"I've learned over the last few years that the only secret is to live in the moment and without thinking of faraway objectives.

"Now we need to get the engine going again after these few weeks when I needed time to recover, then we'll take it one week at a time, game by game, and see where we end up."

Max Whitlock is already looking to Paris and potentially beyond after becoming a three-time Olympic champion by defending his pommel horse gold at Tokyo 2020.

The Team GB gymnast was up first and produced an outstanding performance, scoring 15.583 and ensuring the pressure was on his rivals at the Ariake Gymnastics Centre.

Lee Chih-kai of Chinese Taipei fell short with a score of 15.400, while home favourite Kazuma Kaya secured the bronze.

This marks Whitlock's third Games, with his first at London 2012 yielding two bronze medals before he won two golds and a bronze in Rio five years ago.

The postponement of these Olympics due to the coronavirus pandemic means there are only three years until Paris 2024. Whitlock believes that will ultimately play into his favour, while he has not fully ruled out competing in Los Angeles in seven years' time.

"I was thinking that [about competing in Paris] before Tokyo even started. I would really, really love to make it four Olympic Games," he told a round-table of journalists.

"I feel very proud to have done my third and you obviously get the results to go with it, the three-year cycle helps me out – I'm 28 years old now, every year that goes by it gets harder and harder, there's no doubt about that.

"But a three-year cycle can help me out a lot. Competitions will come around in no time, I know that, and Paris will be here before we know it. 

"Hopefully, I'd love to look towards that, then who knows? At that point in my career, being completely honest, I'd have to look how the British team is faring up and see if there's an opening for me to give LA a shot. We'll see how the team is looking."

As part of his preparations for Tokyo, Whitlock would train in empty gyms back at home to prepare for the absence of spectators.

While he was disappointed for fans not to be present, Whitlock insists the rush of winning was just as big as it was in Rio.

"I mean it's a huge shame no fans were there, there's no doubt about that, I think every athlete would agree," he added.

"But there was still atmosphere which is incredible. It was quieter, obviously, but the feeling was no different to what it would have been with fans because it's the result that means so much to you, with the routine and the performance - I still got that amazing feeling which is incredible. 

"But yeah there's no doubt it would have been a dream to have a fully packed audience in there especially being in Japan with gymnastics, they love the sport, and the Japanese getting on the pommel podium as well and doing what they've done this whole time, I feel like this atmosphere would have been incredible. But there's no doubt it was still amazing."

Whitlock has been away from his wife Leah and daughter Willow for around a month, due to pre-Games preparations and training camps.

He said his family help to keep things in perspective when the pressure of competition mounts.

"I've spoken to them all, they're massively proud. They can't believe it as much as me," he said. "It's been a bit of a surreal moment and a crazy journey to get to this point, it really has been. 

"To go and do that I feel like the pressure was massively, massively on this time. It's probably the most nervous I've felt before any competition I've ever done in my whole life. To pull it off I'm really, really pleased. I literally cannot wait to get home and see everybody.

"I think it puts a lot of things into perspective. One of the things I spoke to Leah about before I went out to compete, she could kind of tell I was massively nervous. She said, 'Remember, it's gymnastics'. 

"I think that's what it does, I think it puts a lot of things into perspective, facetiming my whole family and Willow running around playing with her cousins, which is amazing. 

"It makes me feel 10 times more chilled, and it's kind of another thing I can think about, whether you have a good competition or don't have a good competition, I actually still look forward to going home massively.

"We were talking about it earlier, and thanks to the NHS because I'm double jabbed I can literally go back straight away, no quarantine, spend time with my family, spend time with the people who helped me get to this point straight away, which is an incredible feeling. 

"They've massively helped me put a lot of things into perspective because sport can be intense and can be hard at times. I think having your mind in the right place before you compete is massively important."