Simone Biles provided further inspiration when she returned to action on Tuesday and secured a bronze medal on the balance beam.
China enjoyed success with a Guan Chenchen and Tang Xijing one-two, but the American gymnast stole the headlines on her first appearance back after withdrawing from the team final last week.
Mental health concerns were cited as the reason for Biles stepping away from the team events and other individual disciplines, though the 24-year-old excelled in her sole event on the beam.
The four-time Rio Olympics gold medallist reminded the world of her quality with a 14.000 score, and, despite Chenchen's last-ditch 14.633, she produced an emphatic return for the United States.
"I was just happy to be able to perform, regardless of the outcome," Biles explained after Tuesday's event. "I did it for me, and I was just proud of myself for being able to compete one more time.
"Just to have the opportunity to compete at the Olympic Games meant the world, because training for five years and then coming here, then kind of being triggered and not being able to do anything, it wasn't fun.
"To go out there and compete one more time and have everyone's support meant the world."
To add to Biles' memorable comeback, the USA's basketball stars nudged past Spain 95-81 to reach the Olympic semi-finals, with Kevin Durrant netting a team-high 29 points to drive his side towards victory.
It was a far from convincing performance from the USA, however, as they trailed 39-25 at one point in the second quarter before rallying impressively to level at 43-43 at the halfway stage.
THOMPSON-HERAH COMPLETES DOUBLE-DOUBLE
Elaine Thompson-Herah motored to sprinting history as she won the 200 metres women's final to complete the sprint double-double.
The Jamaican set a new national record with 21.53 seconds, the second-fastest time in the history of the event, making herself just the second athlete ever, after Usain Bolt, to win both titles at consecutive Games.
Thompson-Herah, who claimed 100-metre gold on Saturday after doubling up for the first time at Rio 2016, just missed out on Florence Griffith-Joyner's 1988 world record by 0.19s.
"Oh my god, it's amazing that I have ever seen this day. That I could complete another double. I can't believe it," the 29-year-old said after the 200 metres final.
"I really had to pull it out to win the 200m. It's a new PB [personal best] and a national record. I am so, so happy.
"Honestly I am so tired, my legs just need some rest. I've done so many races in the last few days, but I am very grateful."
WARHOLM'S WORLD
Karsten Warholm demolished the world record with a remarkable 400 metres hurdles triumph, smashing the previous record run for a second time in five weeks.
At the start of July in Oslo, Warholm cut 0.08 seconds off Kevin Young's longstanding record that was set at the Barcelona Games in 1992, though the 25-year-old slashed even more off in Tuesday's final.
The Norwegian star powered through in 45.94s, hacking an astounding 0.76s off the global mark to secure a memorable victory.
"It's just so big. It's almost like history here. It was the only thing missing from my collection," the 25-year-old said after his win. "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 finishers all beat the previous Olympic record, with American silver medallist Rai Benjamin running 46.17, yet the performance of Benjamin's life was simply no match for Warholm.
BRAZIL PREPARE TO DEFEND TITLE
Brazil inflicted shoot-out heartbreak on Mexico after a 0-0 stalemate in 120 minutes to set up a final showpiece with Spain.
Reinier converted the crucial spot-kick and, with Eduardo Aguirre and Johan Vasquez missing, the defending Olympic champions ran out 4-1 victors.
"Playing the final match in the Olympics is a dream," said Brazil's head coach Andre Jardine. "The film I saw was the film of life. Everything we’ve gone through. Although we didn’t win in the 90 minutes, we took more risks."
Japan suffered extra-time agony in their semi-final against Spain as Marco Asensio's late winner sunk the host nation to tee up a mouth-watering prospect for Saturday's final.
Despite footballing disappointment, women's boxer Sena Irie provided the host nation reason to celebrate as she edged past the Philippines' 2019 world champion Nesthy Petecio to achieve gold.
Irie's win in the women’s featherweight class final means she is Japan’s first female boxing champion at the Olympics.
CYCLING CHAOS
Germany twice recorded world record rides to earn their first gold – and, in fact, their first ever medal – in the women's team pursuit cycling track event.
A strong Great Britain side, including Laura Kenny, awaited Germany in the final but the team of Mieke Kroeger, Franziska Brausse, Lisa Brennauer and Lisa Klein produced the ride of their lives to finish in 4:06.159, almost two seconds quicker than the previous record.
In a dramatic day of cycling, the reigning world champions Netherlands won their first gold since 1936 in the men's team sprint as Team GB again had to settle for silver inside the velodrome.
That silver for Jason Kenny meant he became the first athlete to win eight Olympic medals in cycling track events and also equalled the total medal haul of Britain's most successful Olympian Sir Bradley Wiggins.
More controversy filled Tuesday's track events, with Denmark's Frederik Madsen crashing into the back of Team GB's Charlie Tanfield inside the closing kilometre of the men's team pursuit heats.
The UCI later deemed the Danes, who were near two seconds ahead of their opponents, to have completed a successful catch to make it through to Thursday's final against Italy, despite the incident.
Nottingham Forest confirm Jesse Lingard exit
Former England international Jesse Lingard will leave Nottingham Forest at the end of his contract.
Lingard raised eyebrows when he joined Forest last season following their promotion to the Premier League, turning down West Ham to sign a lucrative one-year deal.
But his time at the City Ground did not work out and he made just 20 appearances in all competitions, scoring two goals in the Carabao Cup.
He featured just four times in 2023, but was a constant presence on the touchline as Forest beat the odds to retain their Premier League status.
The 30-year-old will now look for a third club in three years, with reports linking him to a number of cash-rich leagues abroad.
Andre Ayew, who signed a short-term contract in January, will also depart the City Ground this summer, along with Jack Colback, Cafu, Lyle Taylor and Jordan Smith.
Right-back Serge Aurier, who was a key performer in Forest’s survival mission, has triggered the one-year option in his contract so will stay for the 2023/24 campaign.
Loanees Dean Henderson, Keylor Navas and Renan Lodi come to the end of their deals, though Forest are understood to be interested in exploring permanent moves for Manchester United goalkeeper Henderson and Brazilian Lodi.
Forest are not expected to have a repeat of last summer’s recruitment drive, which saw them sign 22 players by the end of the transfer window and go up to 30 by the end of January.
But it is still likely to be busy as boss Steve Cooper targets a smaller number of quality additions and will be keen to move several players on as he trims a bloated squad.
UEFA confirms Szymon Marciniak will referee Champions League final
UEFA has confirmed referee Szymon Marciniak will remain in charge of next week’s Champions League final after investigating his alleged links with a far-right movement.
Marciniak was under review after speaking at a recent event organised by Polish far-right leader Slawomir Mentzen and his role as match official for Manchester City’s clash with Inter Milan in Istanbul on June 10 was in doubt.
But UEFA is satisfied that Marciniak had been “gravely misled and completely unaware of the true nature and affiliations of the event in question” and will keep the 42-year-old Pole as referee.
UEFA said: “Following Mr. Marciniak’s statement, UEFA acknowledges his profound apologies and clarification.
“UEFA also reached out to “NEVERAGAIN,” an NGO affiliated with the FARE network, which raised the initial concerns about Mr. Marciniak’s involvement in the event.
“They requested that Mr. Marciniak remain in his role as the referee for the upcoming UEFA Champions League final, firmly asserting that removing him would undermine the promotion of anti-discrimination.
“Based on the information provided, UEFA confirms that Mr. Marciniak will fulfil his role as the referee for the 2023 UEFA Champions League final.”
The organiser of the event at which Marciniak was a guest speaker, co-chairman of the Confederation party Mentzen, launched the political slogan ‘We stand against Jews, gays, abortion, taxation and the European Union’.
Anti-racism group Never Again had urged UEFA to drop Marciniak after the event at the International Congress Centre in Katowice.
Marciniak said in a statement: “I want to express my deepest apologies for my involvement and any distress or harm it may have caused.
“Upon reflection and further investigation, it has become evident that I was gravely misled and completely unaware of the true nature and affiliations of the event in question.
Marciniak, second right, refereed December’s World Cup final in Qatar (Nick Potts/PA)
“I had no knowledge that it was associated (with) a Polish extreme-right movement. Had I been aware of this fact, I would have categorically declined the invitation.
“It is important to understand that the values promoted by this movement are entirely contrary to my personal beliefs and the principles I strive to uphold in my life. I am deeply remorseful for any perception that my participation may have contradicted them.”
Marciniak, 42, became the first Polish referee to take charge of a World Cup final in Qatar last December when Argentina beat France on penalties.
He refereed the second leg of City’s semi-final win against Real Madrid and has taken charge of seven other Champions League fixtures.
Every trophy is special – Alastair Johnston sees no let-up at Celtic
Alistair Johnston discovered that every triumph was special at Celtic when seeing the joy on serial winner Callum McGregor’s face as the captain lifted the first two trophies of the season.
Johnston is one match away from completing a clean sweep of major honours in Scotland five months after joining Celtic from Montreal.
McGregor is going for his 20th winners’ medal on Saturday when Celtic face Inverness in the Scottish Cup final and Johnston expects it would mean just as much for his skipper to again meet the demands and expectations of fans.
The 24-year-old said: “I know the extraordinary has become ordinary a little bit at this club with how many trophies they have lifted over the past decade. But still, for guys like myself, this would be my third-ever trophy in my entire career.
“And I know Cal is probably on 40 or whatever it is but even for him, when you see how much excitement and joy it brings to him and guys like that – James Forrest, I mean he might be on 50 for all I know – you can really tell how much it means.
“When you see that from the older guys who have been there and done that, especially as a new guy, you are like ‘okay, yeah, this is really big’. I am really excited and I would love to be a part of it.
“When you see over the past decade, not only the trophies but the trebles that have been won, you almost take it for granted a little bit that ‘oh, Celtic won another one, it’s not that big of a deal’.
“But now, being here and truly understanding and seeing the work that goes on behind the scenes and just the amount of effort that each guy puts in, it really rings true to me. It’s like ‘wow, each one of these is special’.
“Just because some guys have won a lot of them, it doesn’t make that next one any less special.
“I am just really excited to be in a position where I could potentially be walking out of here after six months with a treble. That is everything and more I could have asked for, but when I came in those were the expectations, that was what was put on me, it’s trophies or nothing.
“I am just really happy we are delivering for our fans so far but it will be a big match this weekend, it won’t be easy.”
Johnston’s appetite has been further whetted by seeing clips of previous Hampden success, including the penalty shoot-out that won Celtic the Scottish Cup against Hearts in 2020 to clinch the quadruple treble.
The Canada international said: “It gave you that hunger as one of the new players: ‘I want to be part of that, I want to leave my mark on this club as well’.
“As you get closer to these finals, some of those clips come up and it really puts things in perspective. You can just see the joy it brings to the fans and players. That’s something you want to be part of as a footballer.”
At one stage Johnston feared he would not be part of it after suffering a leg injury in a tackle on Rangers full-back Borna Barisic in the semi-final, but he fought back to fitness to play in the final match of the league season against Aberdeen last weekend.
“When I made the tackle, I thought it could be an issue,” he said. “Just because when I stood up and realised I couldn’t put any real weight on it.
“But the scans were better than expected and I have done a lot with the medical team, they have been unbelievable. They have been in every day pretty much with me doing the long hours because I made it really clear I wanted to be back, not only for the cup final, but I wanted to be back to be in contention for selection for the Aberdeen match because I wanted to be out on that pitch.
“You could probably see the joy it brought me being out there, I was loving life. Even though I got a bit tight, it was just precautionary to get me off.
“Now all the focus is on the cup final. I feel good enough to be able to go. I don’t think anyone is perfect at this point of the season.
“They are long years, a lot of matches, a lot of minutes on everyone’s bodies. But it’s a cup final, an opportunity to lift a trophy, and you can get through some pretty serious pain for that.”
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