While still basking in his stunning second-round knockout victory over Colombia’s Randy Ramirez, Guyana’s champion boxer Elton Dharry is brimming with optimism about the prospects of a World title fight sometime this year.
The funding will be provided under the Government’s Athletes Assistance Programme that was initiated last year but which was discontinued after the Olympics Games were postponed because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The Ministry in collaboration with the Institute of Sports is providing financial support for those who are preparing for the Olympics. Approximately 124 athletes will benefit from the initiative,” said Jamaica’s Sports Minister Olivia Grange.
“They will be provided with funds at two week periods from now through to the Olympics. It will total approximately 45 million dollars in support.”
Athletes in six disciplines including swimming, rugby, gymnastics, boxing, karate and track and field will begin receiving disbursements in a matter of days as the final list of athletes is now being validated by the Athletes Assistance Programme Committee.
Payment of stipends to Paralympic athletes will begin in three weeks in keeping with the commitment of the Government of Jamaica to provide support for 18 weeks leading up to the Paralympic Games.
The Athletes Assistance Programme was implemented for the first time in March 2020. The programme was suspended after International Olympic Committee and the Japanese government decided to postpone the Games.
Sixty-six countries, including the Caribbean islands of Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Cayman Islands, and Haiti had boycotted the games entirely because of the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan. Security at the athletes' village was robust, with armed soldiers and barbed wire unfamiliar sights for the quadrennial spectacle of global goodwill.
At the time, Parris, now looking back, admits that all of that mattered very little. After all, he was there for one thing and that was to win gold for Guyana, a country which despite its reputation for being rich in earthly minerals, had yet to mine a spec of precious metal on the Olympics stage.
With that singular focus in mind, Parris recalls spending the majority of his time at the Games training in his hotel room, with the air conditioning stuck at its lowest setting, to help with acclimatisation. Even so, once the moment arrived, once he stepped out onto the global stage, the gravity of the moment did not entirely escape him.
“I was nervous. Nobody was calling for Guyana. I lost at least a bucket of sweat from my face and arms. The crowd was just so big, and you see maybe one little Guyana flag. It doesn’t matter where you go in the world, someone from Guyana will always be there. I saw a little flag somewhere in the crowd,” Parris recalled of stepping into the middle of the ring.
“But, when I was fighting, I never focused on the crowd, not even the coach. When I was in the ring I only focused on the other fighter, his movement, my movement, to see when I had hurt him,” he added.
Parris began the bouts with a win over Nigeria’s Nureni Gbadamosi, in the round of 32, followed by another win over Syria’s Fayez Zaghloui in the round of 16. Another solid performance saw the referee stop the contest between himself and Mexico’s Daniel Zaragoza, in the quarterfinals, before he faced Cuba’s Juan Hernández in the semi-finals.
Unfortunately for Parris, the competition ended there, with the Cuban going on to outpoint him before defeating Venezuela’s Bernardo Piñango in the final to claim the gold medal.
Even if the mission wasn’t fully accomplished, the job had been well done. Parris’ performances assured him of a bronze medal. The long journey, which began in sunny Georgetown, Guyana had culminated with a spot on the podium nearly 5,000 miles away, in the chilly Russian city. Forty years have passed since the monumental occasion, but for Parris, looking back, winning the country’s first and only Olympic medal to date still fills him with a deep sense of pride.
“I didn’t know if I was standing or sitting, or what, when the flag went up in the air. The excitement, I don’t even remember if I was standing. To see the flag raised, of 100s of other countries the Guyanese flag was up there. It was just so good. Some of our other athletes had flags waving as well, I was checking up on them and they thought they should have won medals as well and such,” Parris recalled.
“It was really exciting everything about it. Everything, the crowd, the first time the Guyana flag was raised at a Games. Many athletes went to the games before me. The first time I went, thankfully, I qualified and was able to bring back the bronze,” he added.
Parris’ achievement is yet to be equalled. Even the late Andrew ‘Six heads’ Lewis, who went to be WBA World Welterweight Champion, did not match his achievement at the Olympic level. Lewis failed to advance past the first round at the 1990 Olympics after losing to Germany’s Andreas Otto.
Parris is convinced that the country’s lack of outright success, since then, at the Olympic level, is not due to a lack of talent but more a case of not being enough done to fully harness the potential of young Guyanese athletes.
“We need to find a way to support our athletes. We need to look closely at these athletes, support them and you’ll get the best out of them. Support them and expose them, they need financial programs and stuff like that. Any sports you can think of Guyanese are good at it, whether it be running, swimming, cricket they just need the backing.”
He admits, however, that he has recently been encouraged by the approach taken by a newly elected government, which came into power last year, and the appointment of sports minister Charles Ramson Jr.
“I have been encouraged that we have a young sport’s minister, with this new government. He looks like he is ready to push things ahead, so we may get a few more Guyanese medalling at the Olympic Games soon,” Parris said.
If there is one regret, Parris, now 63, says is that he has not been able to work with some of the country’s youth boxers, as he was never given the opportunity. Still, he does his part to attempt to inspire the next generation.
“It’s been a great feeling, but the only thing I wish is when I came back with the medal, I would have loved to give something back to the youth. I never got the chance because no one called upon me to say come and help us with the coaching program or whatever. When they have summer camps now though, sometimes I drive around with the medal to show them so they can see it and feel it. I want to inspire them. I want them to know they can do it as well.”
IOC president Bach spoke on Tuesday at a press conference after interim recommendations were issued to international federations and organisers of events regarding the involvement of Russians and Belarusians in events while war in Ukraine continues.
The Olympic body urged federations to exclude any athletes or support personnel "who actively support the war", along with anybody "contracted to the Russian or Belarusian military or national security agencies", and said teams from either country should not be allowed to compete in international sport for now.
However, in a statement, the IOC said: "Sports organisations must have the sole responsibility to decide which athletes can take part in international competitions based on their sporting merits and not on political grounds or because of their passports."
There is a clear possibility of Russian and Belarusian athletes being allowed to compete as neutrals at the Paris Olympics next year, although Bach stressed there has been no decision taken on that matter, explaining it has yet to be discussed by the IOC executive board.
Bach said the IOC was going along with a United Nations position, and when asked whether Olympic chiefs were simply waiting for the war to end, and holding fire on direct action until then, he refuted the contention.
"We are not kicking it down the road, and we are not waiting," Bach said. "I guess we all would like the war to end now, and this is what we are calling for, but as you can see for all the reasons we are giving the conditions are not related to the development of the war, they are related to the respect of the Olympic charter and the Olympic values, and there we have to address these questions whether somebody is actively supporting the war in whichever way."
Bach said a decision regarding next year's Olympics would be made "at the appropriate time", without indicating when that might be, saying it was important to monitor the latest recommendations "for as long as possible" before taking "an informed decision".
He said there was no timeline because "nobody knows what's happening tomorrow or in one week or in nine months, so we have just to monitor and then find the appropriate time".
Bach knows there is unease in some quarters about the IOC not taking a firm decision.
When asked about Russia being happy its athletes were being able to compete, and Ukraine being unhappy with the situation, Bach said: "We have been accused by the Russian side of being agents of the United States, and we have been accused by Ukrainian side of being promoters of the war, so we appear to be somewhere in the middle."
Jackson claimed the award for the first time after a phenomenal 2023 season which saw her successfully defend her World 200m title with a personal best 21.41, the second fastest time ever, in Budapest in August.
In addition to her 200m title, Jackson also ran 10.72 for 100m silver. She ended her season with the sprint double at the Diamond League Final in Eugene with times of 10.70 and 21.57, respectively, in September.
The 29-year-old also achieved a new personal best in the 100m with 10.65, the fifth fastest time ever, to defend her National title in July.
Antonio Watson shocked the world to become the first Jamaican man in 40 years to win 400m gold at the World Championships.
After running a massive personal best 44.14 in the semi-finals, the 22-year-old produced 44.22 to take gold in the final. Watson also ran 44.54 for second at the National Championships in July.
Watson also took home the people’s choice award for his gold medal winning performance.
Danielle Williams was named runner-up for Sportswoman of the Year while Hansle Parchment was runner-up for Sportsman of the Year.
Williams, like Watson, shocked the world in Budapest by claiming her second 100m hurdles World title, the other coming all the way back in 2015.
Parchment, the reigning Olympic champion, claimed his second World Championship silver medal with a 13.07 effort in Budapest. He followed that up in September with a new personal best 12.93 to win at the Diamond League Final in Eugene.
The recipient of the 2023 Icon Award was 400m hurdles Olympic and World champion Deon Hemmings-McCatty while West Indies Under-19 batsman Jordan Johnson was named the winner of the VM Group Y.O.U.T.H award.
Some other athletes receiving awards for their individual sports included CAC Games bronze medallist Tahlia Richardson for badminton, Ricardo “Big 12” Brown for boxing, Sherea Clarke and Wayne McCalla for bodybuilding, West Indies batter Rashada Williams for cricket and Sara Misir and Fraser McConnell for motorsport.
Arguably Jamaica’s two most successful sports teams, the Sunshine Girls and the Reggae Girls, were given special awards for their performances in 2023.
The Reggae Girls were rewarded for their historic performance at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand from July 20-August 20.
They became the first Caribbean team ever, male or female, to advance to the Round of 16 at a FIFA World Cup.
The Sunshine Girls also had a historically good year with a gold medal at the CAC Games held in El Salvador from June 25-29 and bronze at the Netball World Cup held from July 28-August 6 in South Africa.
That World Cup also saw the Jamaicans get their first ever World Cup win over world number one and eventual champions, Australia.
Four judges scored the fight in favour of Kumar and one scored it for the Jamaican.
Brown, popularly known as ‘Big 12,’ had a slow start, losing the first round on all the judges’ scorecards and never really recovered from there.
He showed more intent and tried to pick up the pace in rounds 2 and 3 but ultimately didn’t do any significant damage as Kumar, who fought a more technical fight, was able to come away with the win.
Kumar, a two-time Asian Championships bronze medalist, was cut on the forehead after an accidental clash of heads in the 3rd round but kept his composure, and avoided some potentially devastating right hands from Brown, to seal victory and advance to the quarterfinals, one step closer to an opportunity at a medal.
He will next face reigning world and Asian Champion Bakhodir Jalovov of Uzbekistan on Saturday.
Brown, 31, was a bronze medalist at the 2019 Pan Am Games in Lima, Peru, and was seeking to become Jamaica’s 1st boxing medallist at the Olympics.
Jerone Ennis, the 2022 American Light Heavyweight Boxing Confederation/Caribbean gold medalist and Commonwealth Youth Welterweight Bronze medalist is on board: “I am a proud representative of the Jamaica Boxing Board of Control and my goal is to represent Jamaica at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games and thanks to the JOA which made it possible for me to represent Jamaica at the international level and for developing the ‘smaller’ sporting syndicates.”
Olympian Ricardo Brown, the 2019 Pan American bronze medalist in the men’s super heavyweight (91+kg) class who in 2021 turned professional, puts it in the context of transitioning to the big stage which all athletes envision. “Attending the Tokyo Olympic Games is a memory and an experience for a lifetime and the JOA was supportive in starting me in the right direction which has expanded more opportunities for me in my professional career.”
While Brown articulates the dream of athletes, JOA Secretary General and Chief Executive Officer, Ryan Foster, gives the perspective of his colleague Directors. “For the JOA family two is not better than too many; and while success in sport development is understandably qualitative, there is a numerical component that materially defines progress and validates the principle “sport for all, all for sport” which is our theme for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.”
Foster’s comment strikes a chord with Weightlifting Federation President, Dr. Mark Broomfield whose sport has been creating history. “There is a parallel between educational professions and sporting disciplines. For years many thought that to have a meaningful career one had to be either a Lawyer or a Doctor, no other profession was respected or encouraged until reality proved otherwise. The same is true for sport in the Jamaican landscape. Many only saw football, cricket, track and field and netball, the female sport, as the only sport worth developing and promoting but “out of many one people” is a platform that promotes diversity and the belief that Jamaicans can represent their country in other sporting disciplines outside of the chosen three or four. Pioneers are known for their ability to pave new path ways and it’s time for new pioneers in sports.”
Fencing Federation President, James McBean, is also on the same page regarding the JOA’s “no sport being left behind” policy as he says “this really speaks to the effort that the JOA is making in terms of encouraging, honing and in many ways revolutionizing the sporting landscape of Jamaica and what’s also quite poignant is the way in which JOA seems to be going about this is very much in line with the spirit of the IOC in that all these new so called ‘smaller sports’ or new ‘family members’ to the sporting family are treated equally, given a voice, and being encouraged. Nurturing the so-called ‘smaller sports’ is so important because this is a wise investment in Jamaica’s sport and a brilliant use of resources and time.”
Many Olympic sports are now coming into their own and international representation across the board continues to be a driving force of the JOA. “Any governing body in sport or otherwise knows that the playing field must be level at all times for governance of members’ aspirations cannot be for some a valley and others a mountain-top experience. Enshrined in the Olympic Charter is the equal right of all to self-actualisation and to transition to the Olympic stage” JOA President, Christopher Samuda, said.
Olympian and the 2022 Commonwealth Games sliver medalist in the Women 70kg weight category, Ebony knows the immense potential of her sport. "I want to get to another Olympics and, with that, help Jamaica to improve the awareness of judo as a sport and get more persons to participate. Judo has given so much to my life and I want other people to experience the same - especially the youth. Ultimately, the Jamaica Judo Association is really helping to build the interest in the country as we have a great potential for international success at every age group."
2023 will witness two major games – the El Salvador Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games and the Santiago Pan American Games - the predecessors of which in 2019 were historic for the JOA in terms of the most sports represented, the most medal haul and the largest contingent. “Our goal is clearly to surpass those milestones and our commitment to those sports who they call minor, is not only major but is mature” Samuda emphasised.
At the heart of sport development and success in sport and central to KPIs of any growth strategy is an understanding that is akin to the thought process that goes into any viable investment and revenue strategy: “Diversify, pluralise, economise and then monetise and don’t allow your eggs to be placed in one basket. The same applies to sport” Foster said.
In the last decade there has been, noticeably, an emergence of new Olympic sports with well-defined technical cohorts, fan bases and financial backers who are taking some icing and slices from the sporting cake which must necessarily and creatively be enlarged and enriched to accommodate new tastes and a widening diet of diverse ambitions.
International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Bach launched a tirade on Thursday at the "negative reactions" to plans to allow competitors from Russia and Belarus to compete in global sporting events as neutral individual athletes.
There has been no final decision taken yet on whether those athletes can take part in next year's Olympics; however, there will be potential pathways for them to qualify for the Games, and it could yet mean there are Russians and Belarusians taking part in the Paris Games while war continues in Ukraine.
Government figures in the UK, Germany and beyond have expressed opposition to such athletes being allowed to take part, although IOC guidance on Tuesday potentially opened that door.
For those politicians there was a fierce rebuke from Bach.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Bach said: "Today the IOC executive board discussed the reactions to our recommendations issued on Tuesday.
"There we have taken note of some negative reactions by some European governments in particular. I can only reaffirm there what the Olympic movement and all the stakeholders have made very clear before: that it is deplorable to see some governments do not want to respect the majority within the Olympic movement and of all stakeholders, nor the autonomy of sport which they are praising and requesting from other countries in countless speeches, UN resolutions, EU declarations, and at every other opportunity.
"It is deplorable that these governments do not address the question of double standards with which we have been confronted in our consultations.
"We have not seen a single comment from them about their attitude towards the participation of athletes whose countries are involved in the other 70 wars and armed conflicts in the world.
"It is even more deplorable that they grossly neglect the very clear statement of the two special rapporteurs from the UN human rights council. While in other issues they are always highlighting their firm request for the respect of human rights
"Discussions and reactions from the Olympic movement are making it very clear, that these government interventions have strengthened the unity of the Olympic movement.
"All stakeholders make it very clear again: it cannot be up to the governments to decide which athletes can participate in which competition. This would be the end of world sport as we know it today.
"The Olympic movement stakeholders are very concerned about this politicisation of sport. They are very concerned about the attitude of these governments wanting to take over the participation and the decision of participation in sport events in their country or even in other countries."
Bach pointed to a letter from the presidents of the five regional groupings on national Olympic committees, representing all 206 NOCs, in which he said it was stated that "international sports competitions welcome athletes from all countries".
Asked why it was only athletes from Russia and Belarus that were being asked to compete as neutrals, rather than those from other conflicts and wars to which he referred, Bach said that was "because this was a blatant violation of the Olympic truce and happened between the Olympic Winter Games and the Paralympic Games".
That was a reference to the timing of the beginning of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
With regard to Germany and the UK, Bach said: "Both NOCs have made it very clear they do not boycott, and we will not punish athletes or an NOC for the position of their governments.
"We will always make every effort not to punish athletes for misbehaviour of their national governments."
Bach, who is German, said "a vast, vast majority of all stakeholders of the Olympic movement" supported the IOC putting in place conditions for the possible return to international competition of athletes with Russian and Belarusian passports.
He added: "I can only reaffirm the entire Olympic movement strongly stands by its values and by its mission to unite the world in a peaceful competition."
The then 29-year-old from Leeds beat her arch-rival, China’s Ren Cancan, 16-7 to win flyweight gold in London.
Adams knocked Ren to the canvas in the second round and was roared to victory by a patriotic home crowd.
A delighted Adams said afterwards: “I am so happy and overwhelmed with joy right now. I have wanted this all my life and I have done it.”
It was a landmark moment for women’s boxing, with three weight categories included for the sport’s Olympic debut, a number which has since increased to six.
Adams’ glittering amateur career continued with Commonwealth gold in 2014 before she successfully defended her Olympic title in Rio.
The Yorkshire fighter turned professional in 2017 and went on to be crowned WBO flyweight world champion before retiring in November 2019 after sustaining an eye injury.
Barega topped the podium for Ethiopia as he saw off competition from Ugandan duo Joshua Cheptegei and Jacob Kiplimo on Friday.
The 21-year-old ran a smart race and had the stronger finish in him to see off pre-race favourite Cheptegei, who took silver ahead of compatriot Kiplimo.
"It means a lot to me because I have been practising a lot, not only by myself but together with the Ethiopian people," said Barega, who quickly sets his sights on future success.
"As an athlete the primary target for us is to participate in the Olympics, be a champion, and also be able to break the record.
"So I'm really thinking about future opportunities for me to achieve that, and if possible I'm also communicating with my manager about that."
There was no such joy for Djokovic as his bid to become the first man to win a calendar Golden Slam was crushed by a semi-final defeat to Alexander Zverev.
Djokovic was a set and a break up but the Serbian contrived to lose eight games in a row en route to a 1-6 6-3 6-1 loss.
Germany's Zverev had sympathy for his beaten opponent, who he declared as the greatest of all time.
He said: "I know that he was chasing history, chasing the Golden Slam and chasing the Olympics, but in these kind of moments me and Novak are very close. Of course I'm happy that I've won, but at the end of the day I know how Novak feels.
"I feel sorry for Novak, but he's won 20 grand slams, 550 Masters Series or whatever, you can't have everything.
"He's the greatest player of all time, he will win the most grand slams out of anybody on tour, but I'm also happy that I'm in the final."
Defeat in the mixed doubles means the 20-time grand slam champion will face two bronze medal matches in Japan.
MIXED RELAY WOES FOR USA
The 4x400 metre relay mixed event made its debut in the Olympics on Friday but it did not go well for the favourites as the United States suffered disqualification.
One of the team's baton exchanges was deemed to have taken place outside the designated zone, ending their campaign and leaving the gold medal up for grabs.
Poland qualified fastest with a time of three minutes 10.44 seconds, with the Netherlands close behind and Jamaica also in the mix.
SCHAUFFELE LEADS THE WAY IN RAIN-AFFECTED MEN'S GOLF
Xander Schauffele fired a 63 to move top of the leaderboard at Tokyo 2020, while home favourite Hideki Matsuyama and Rory McIlroy made big moves on Friday.
The threat of serious weather caused another delay on day two, and eventually brought an early end to play with Matsuyama among those not to finish his round.
But Schauffele, who has a big following in Japan as his mother was brought up in the country, sat pretty at 11 under as the stellar names bared their teeth at Kasumigaseki Country Club.
Matsuyama was six under through 16 holes of his second round and eight under overall for the tournament.
McIlroy matched Matsuyama's round-one score but shot five under in round two and is well in the mix four shots back.
A LONG TIME COMING
Ma Long took gold in the table tennis as he became the first man to win consecutive Olympics titles in the event.
It was an all-Chinese final and Ma roared to victory against Fan Zhendong.
China also secured a one-two in the badminton mixed doubles.
IGLESIAS CAN BE CUBA'S HERO
Cuban welterweight fighter Roniel Iglesias earned a third Olympic medal after sinking American Delante Johnson with a sweep of the scorecards.
After a bronze in Beijing and gold at London in 2012, Iglesias savoured another chance to target the top step of the podium.
The 32-year-old said: "It is my third medal which is very important but what I really want is to win the gold medal. It is a historic moment for me and for my country, Cuba. I am very happy at this achievement."
Light heavyweight Ben Whittaker admitted he was a blubbering mess after securing at least a bronze medal for Great Britain. He set up a semi-final against Imam Khataev – representing the Russian Olympic Committee – after scoring a majority points win over Brazilian Keno Machado.
Whittaker was overwhelmed by the result and burst into tears at the realisation he would be taking home a medal.
"That was the hard part, getting that medal," Whittaker said. "I won't relax, but I've pushed through that first door now and all I have to do is start changing that colour. Bronze is a lovely colour but everyone wants gold."
DRAMA APLENTY IN WOMEN'S FOOTBALL
The quarter-finals of the women's football competition delivered on drama in a big way.
Penalty shoot-outs were needed for Canada and the United States to progress to a last-four showdown, with Brazil and the Netherlands their respective victims.
Australia won a seven-goal thriller 4-3 against Great Britain after extra time and will now meet Sweden, who knocked out hosts Japan 3-1.
The 24-year-old gymnastics icon revealed she was “dealing with things internally” after a disappointing performance on the vault.
Biles posted the lowest score of the first rotation on Tuesday as she landed awkwardly after failing to execute an Amanar, while only completing a Yurchenko 1.5 twist.
After she subsequently withdrew, Team USA had to settle for a silver medal behind the Russian Olympic Committee while Great Britain completed the podium.
Biles admitted that she was "fighting demons", explaining: "I just don't trust myself as much as I used to. I don't know if it's age. I'm a little bit more nervous when I do gymnastics. I feel like I'm also not having as much fun."
She added: "I say, 'put mental health first'. Because if you don't, you won't enjoy sport and won't succeed as much as you want to.
"So it's okay sometimes to sit out the big competitions to focus on yourself, because it shows how strong a competitor and person that you really are, rather than just battling through it."
OSAKA STUNNED
The big names continue to tumble in the women’s singles tennis event, with second seed Naomi Osaka defeated in straight sets.
The home favourite, who lit the Olympic cauldron on Friday, was denied a place in the quarter-finals after being ousted 6-1 6-4 by world number 42 Marketa Vondrousova.
This event marked Osaka’s first competitive tennis in two months since her early withdrawal from the French Open at the end of May, citing mental health issues.
The world number two is the latest of the big names to fall at the Tokyo Games, with top seed Ash Barty and third seed Aryna Sabalenka also suffering early exits.
"Of course, it's one of the biggest wins of my career," Vondrousova said. "Naomi is a great player, so I knew it would be a tough match.
“I'm very happy with my play. I played amazingly in the first set, and then the second set was really tough. I'm just happy to be through."
ARGENTINA RECOVER TO SEE OFF SPRINGBOKS
Argentina recovered from a dreadful start to beat South Africa and book their place in the rugby seven semi-finals.
Trailing 7-0 after just under two minutes, the Pumas were then reduced to six men when Gaston Revol - who was reduced to tears - was shown a straight red card.
Nevertheless, they demonstrated tremendous resilience and character before eventually running out 19-14 winners.
Argentina will play Fiji in the last four after the reigning Olympic champions swept Australia aside 19-0.
Great Britain stormed back from 21-0 down to beat the USA, scoring four tries to secure a dramatic 26-21 victory.
Team GB will play New Zealand, who eased to a 21-10 success over Canada.
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.
Jepchirchir finally broke from her countrywoman with a little over two kilometres to go and pulled away to win by 16 seconds.
Kosgei's second-place finish made Kenya the first nation to claim gold and silver in the event at the same Olympic Games.
“I pushed on the pace [and when I opened the gap] it was like, 'Wow, I’m going to make it. I’m going to win,'" Jepchirchir said.
"It feels good. I’m so, so happy because we win as Kenya. First and second. I thank my god so much. I'm happy for my family. I'm happy for my country, Kenya."
Ten seconds behind Kosgei, Molly Seidel of the USA shouted "Yes! Yes!" as she crossed the line for a stunning bronze medal in only her third competitive marathon.
Seidel is the third US woman to medal in the marathon, following Joan Benoit Samuelson's gold at the inaugural women's race in Los Angeles in 1984 and Deena Kastor's bronze at Athens 2004.
She said she took inspiration from her friend Courtney Frerichs' aggressive approach that led to a silver medal in the 3,000m steeplechase this week.
"Seeing her do that and race aggressively was truthfully what gave me the strength to not be afraid to stick my nose in it," Seidel said.
"It is just to go out, stick your nose where it doesn’t belong and try and make some people angry. My goal today was just to go in and for people to think, 'Who the hell is this girl?'."
ANOTHER GOLD FOR MCGEE FAMILY
JaVale McGee was a late addition to the USA basketball squad, but Saturday's victory over France made him a part of history.
McGee's mother Pam won gold with the USA in basketball at the 1984 Los Angeles Games, and she and JaVale are now the first American mother-son combo to win gold in any sport.
“It's an amazing feeling man," McGee said. "I got a gold medal, my mother's got a gold medal. You can't really explain it, just knowing you're the best in the world.
“If that don't add to the resume, I don't know what will. It's a family resume. That's what it’s all about, in the end, is family.”
YAFAI WINS BOXING GOLD FOR BRITAIN
Galal Yafai became the first British man to win boxing gold since London 2012, defeating Carlo Paalam of the Philippines for the flyweight title Saturday.
Yafai knocked down Paalam in the opening round and never looked back, winning 4-1.
The 28-year-old Birmingham native competed in Rio as a light flyweight but lost in the second round.
He is the first Brit to medal in the men's fly since 1956.
Paalam is the first man from the Philippines to medal in any sport since boxer Mansueto Velasco took silver in the light fly at Atlanta 1996.
BEACH VOLLEYBALL NEWCOMERS TAKE MEDALS
A sport traditionally dominated by Brazil and the USA saw three newcomers on the podium on Saturday.
The Norway duo of Anders Mol and Christian Sorum defeated Viacheslav Krasilnikov and Oleg Stoyanovskiy, representing the Russian Olympic Committee, to take home the gold medal.
In the bronze-medal match, Ahmed Tijan and Cherif Younousse of Qatar downed Edgar Tocs and 2012 bronze medallist Martins Plavins of Latvia.
None of the podium nations had won a medal of any kind in men's or women's beach volleyball before, though the winners do have an Olympic legacy of sorts.
Mol's mother, Merita Berntsen, placed ninth with partner Ragni Hestad in the first beach volleyball competition at the 1996 Atlanta Games, then retired when Anders was born the next year.
"My mum thought it was going to be really hard to travel around with two kids, because my brother was born in 1994. She had me and then quit," Mol said. "I always dreamed of beating my mum in the Olympics. She got a ninth [place[. I was actually really happy when we made it to the quarter-finals because we became historical by achieving [at least] a fifth place.
"It has been a journey for a long time and our parents and families are very proud of us right now."
SIXTH KAYAK GOLD FOR HUNGARY'S KOZAK
Danuta Kozak claimed her sixth Olympic gold medal as Hungary won the women's sprint kayak four 500 metres.
The 34-year-old teamed with Tamara Csipes, Anna Karasz and Dora Bodonyi to hold off Belarus and Poland.
It was Kozak's third consecutive gold in the fours after taking silver in the event in her Olympic debut in Beijing.
She also won gold in the K1 500m in London and Rio, and in the K2 in Rio. She took bronze in the K2 earlier this week, so Saturday's win gives her eight Olympic medals overall.
In other sprint kayak finals, Germany won the men's kayak four 500m, China took the women's canoe double 500m and Isaquias Queiroz dos Santos of Brazil won the canoe single 1000m.
Kipchoge crossed the line one minute and 20 seconds ahead of runner-up Abdi Nageeye to become the third athlete to win the event at back-to-back Games.
In doing so, the 36-year-old – who previously took 5,000 metre silver in 2008 and bronze in London four years later – believes he has inspired a generation of runners.
"It means a lot to me, especially at this hard time," he said. "Last year was postponed, and now it has happened.
"I think I fulfilled the legacy by winning the marathon for the second time. That's my total happiness, my inspiration for the next generation."
The final day of action at the 2020 Games ultimately belonged to the United States, though, as they collected three golds to finish above China at the top of the medal table.
USA TRUMP CHINA
Team USA trailed China by two gold medals heading into Sunday's events, but triumphs in basketball, volleyball and track cycling saw them top the standings.
USA's victory in the women's basketball would have come as little surprise given it is their seventh straight success in the competition.
Brittney Griner racked up 30 points and Breanna Stewart also impressed in the 90-75 win over Japan with 14 points, 14 rebounds, five assists, four steals and three blocks.
Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi each picked up their fifth gold medals, while for Japan the silver was their first medal of any sort in the sport.
"The only thing about getting older, you know all the bad stuff that can happen," Bird said. "We lost in the 2006 World Cup. We tasted that and that's always been the driver.
"So, when we actually have the medal around our necks, it just feels so good. It's a sense of relief in a lot of ways."
While success in the women's basketball is par for the course, overcoming Brazil in the volleyball final provided USA with their first gold medal in the event.
After finishing runners-up to Brazil in the 2008 and 2012 Games, USA exacted some revenge with a 25-21 25-20 25-14 victory in Sunday's final.
Jennifer Valente completed the hat-trick for the Americans in the women's cycling omnium, the 26-year-old delivering her country's first track cycling gold since 2000.
She led from start to finish, despite crashing in the final points race, with home favourite Yumi Kajihara taking silver.
"There were some bumps. It was actually quite a short day as far as omnium goes," Valente said. "That was something that was very much on my mind, that we played into.
"Crashing in the point races is never ideal. I was just trying to get back on my bike, make sure I was okay, and get back in the race as soon as possible."
BRITAIN RULE THE TRACK
Kelsey Mitchell won the women's sprint for Canada by beating Ukraine's Olena Starikova 2-0 in the best-of-three final.
But it was a familiar outcome in the men's keirin as Jason Kenny finished 0.763 seconds ahead of Azizulhasni Awang of Malaysia to win his seventh Olympic gold medal.
That makes Kenny Great Britain's most decorated Olympian and ensured Team GB finished top of the cycling medals table with six golds, four silver and two bronze.
"It's a bit of shock, I think," Kenny said of his latest medal success. "I really wanted to cross the finish line. I am absolutely buzzing.
"Going into the final I didn't expect anything other than a five, really. I was hoping to kind of get stuck in, and hopefully come away with some silverware.
"To win at the corner on my own like that is absolutely buzzing."
AMERICA'S BOXING WAIT GOES ON
The final four boxing gold medals were up for grabs on Sunday and plenty of focus was on the super-heavyweight bout between Bakhodir Jalolov and the USA's Richard Torrez.
Twenty-two-year-old Torrez started strongly with a ferocious assault in the first round, but Uzbekistani boxer Jalolov recovered and won unanimously.
Torrez's compatriot Keyshawn Davis earlier lost his men's lightweight clash with Cuba's Andy Cruz, meaning USA's wait for an Olympic men's boxing gold will reach 20 years come Paris 2024.
"I've never felt this much pressure in fights a day in my life," Davis said. "I'm glad I got to experience this because it did make me a better fighter.
"I'm not cool with winning silver, but it's something I've got to live with and I'm okay with that. I'm gonna live with it and we're just gonna take it to the next level."
In the female categories, Kellie Anne Harrington beat Brazil's Beatriz Ferreira in the lightweight final to earn Ireland their second gold of the Games, while GB's Lauren Price outclassed Li Qian to win the middleweight final on points.
The 36-year-old Kenyan won by over a minute in a time of two hours, eight minutes and 38 seconds, with Dutchman Abdi Nageeye and Belgium's Bashir Abdi taking silver and bronze respectively.
The triumph was a coronation for Kipchoge who won gold at Rio 2016, while he claimed bronze and silver Olympic medals in the 5,000m in Athens and Beijing respectively.
Kipchoge, who is widely regarded as the greatest marathon runner in the modern era, refused to look ahead after his latest win.
"I am a believer of the philosophy that you should only chase one rabbit," Kipchoge said. "If you chase two, then you cannot get all of them.
"For the last two years I have been focusing on the Tokyo Olympic Games 2020, so I will only plan the next thing when there is a big job ahead of me.
"What was in my bucket list was Tokyo 2020. So I will go back now, talk to my coach, and see what the opportunities are and then I will come back to you people. But, for now, I want to enjoy winning here in Tokyo."
Nageeye and Abdi claimed second and third with an enthralling final sprint, edging out Kenyan Lawrence Cherono for the medals. The Dutchman willed on training partner Abdi in the dying stages.
"I was just telling him to stay with us, stay with us the last one (kilometre)," Nageeye said. "I felt good as that is what I was doing. I wasn't volunteering, but I knew if he stayed until the end, the last 200 metres, close your eyes and just sprint."
KENNY CLAIMS HISTORIC SEVENTH OLYMPIC GOLD
British cyclist Jason Kenny secured his seventh career Olympic gold medal, winning the men's keirin final on the final day of the Games after a remarkable race where he stormed ahead unopposed.
Kenny claimed his historic gold by 0.763 seconds from Malaysia's Mohd Azizulhasni Awang who edged Harrie Lavreysen of the Netherlands on the line to claim silver and bronze respectively.
In a bizarre race, the 33-year-old Kenny pulled clear with two laps to go, with second-placed Matthew Glaetzer not following him, powering ahead and eventually crossing the line on his own.
"It was such a long way," Kenny said. "I felt like the last lap took me about half an hour. But I got there in the end. I still can’t believe I crossed the line on my own."
He first won gold in the team sprint at Beijing 2008, following with two triumphs at London 2012 and three at Rio 2016, including the keirin title which he successfully defended.
Kenny's gold medal means he is the most successful British athlete in Olympic history, pulling clear of cyclist Chris Hoy.
Jason's wife Laura Kenny was involved in a huge crash in the opening round of the women's omnium and missed out on the medals, with gold won by USA's Jennifer Valente. Japan's Yumi Kajihara won the host country's first medal in cycling at Tokyo 2020 with silver.
Canada's Kelsey Mitchell won the gold medal from Ukraine's Olena Starikova in the women's sprint, with Hong Kong's Lee Wai Sze taking bronze.
USA CONTINUE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL DYNASTY
The United States women's basketball team claimed their seventh consecutive gold medal with a 90-75 victory over hosts Japan.
Brittney Griner top-scored with 30 points for USA, along with five rebounds and two assists.
Team USA opened up a nine-point lead at the first change and they were never headed, with a strong display headed by Griner.
USA only hit four three-pointers for the game compared to Japan's eight, but the favourites played to their strengths with strong offensive and defensive contributions from A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart.
Wilson added 19 points, seven rebounds, five blocks and five assists, while Stewart was exceptional with 14 points, 14 rebounds, three blocks and five assists.
USA veteran Sue Bird signed off on her Olympic career with a fifth gold medal.
USA MOVE CLEAR WITH VOLLEYBALL TRIUMPH
The United States moved into the outright lead on the gold medal table after clinching their first-ever women's volleyball victory.
USA triumphed 3-0 over Brazil, winning 25-21 25-20 25-14 in a dominant final display.
The gold medal took USA's tally to 39 golds, moving ahead of China with 38 as the final day continued to unfold.
The South African was back on the track on Sunday morning in Tokyo, and he has some work to do if he wants to get back to the medal stand five years later.
Van Niekerk finished third in his heat to qualify for the semi-finals, but his time of 45.25 seconds ranked as the 12th-fastest among all competitors.
"I definitely came with a bit of nerves but I think I handled it well," he said. "I took it by my stride, switched off a bit too soon, but still got the job done."
USA's Michael Cherry had the leading time at 44.82, while the top two finishers in Van Niekerk's heat, Colombia's Anthony Zambrano (44.87) and Steven Solomon (44.94) of Australia, were both among the fastest four athletes.
After his heat, Van Niekerk sounded like a man adjusting to his new reality, as he will not sneak up on anyone this time.
"Walking around again, looking at [the] Olympic record and world record and that's my time, it sometimes feels a bit unreal," he said. "But this time around it’s a new championship, new rounds. I have to totally focus on the mission right now."
In the only medal event of the morning at the Olympic Stadium, China's Gong Lijiao took gold in the women's shot put with a throw of 20.58m, with USA's Raven Saunders second at 19.79m.
But Valerie Adams' bronze medal at 19.62m may have been the most impressive achievement, as the 36-year-old medalled in the event for the fourth consecutive Olympics.
After finishing seventh at Athens 2004, Adams won gold in Beijing and London before taking silver in Rio. She is now the only woman in history to medal in the same field event four times.
WORTHINGTON TAKES BMX FREESTYLE GOLD
Charlotte Worthington won the BMX freestyle park event Sunday, making Great Britain the first nation to take gold in all five Olympic cycling disciplines.
The 25-year-old from Manchester fell on her first run in the final but landed the first-ever 360 backflip in competition on her second to score a 97.50.
Hannah Roberts of the USA took silver with a 96.10 on her first run before falling on her second and Nikita Ducarroz of Switzerland claimed bronze with an 89.20.
“I'm over the moon," Worthington said. "I’m still sitting here waiting to wake up. I’ve been thinking about this day for the past three or four years, just going in and out of thinking I can, or I can’t do it.
"I’m literally waiting to wake up right now. It feels like a dream.”
Australia's Logan Martin took the first men's gold medal in the event, his 93.30 on the first run getting the better of Venezuela's Daniel Dhers (92.05) and Great Britain's Declan Brooks (90.80).
FIRST MEDAL AT LAST FOR FRATUS
Amid more history-making performances for the American men and Australian women on the final day of swimming competition, Brazil's Bruno Fatus achieved some long-awaited personal glory.
The 32-year-old took bronze in the 50m freestyle behind Caeleb Dressel of the USA and Florent Manaudou of France, his first Olympic medal in his third attempt.
A three-time world championships medallist in the 50m free, Fratus finished an agonising 0.02 seconds off the podium at London 2012, then placed sixth in the event four years later in Rio.
On Sunday, he ascended to the podium at last.
"Winning bronze releases a lot of pressure that was on my back," Fratus said. "I’m so pleased to step on the podium with Caeleb and Florent, two of the best swimmers in history.
"Caeleb has all the potential to beat Michael Phelps’ (records) one day, who knows?
"And Florent is a beast, a monster and one of the best in history. I’m proud to be his friend and share an Olympic podium with him."
Dressel won gold in the 4x100m medley too to reach five Olympic titles in Tokyo, while Australian Emma McKeon also did the 50m free and medley relay double to complete a haul of four gold medals and seven medals in all for the Games. She equalled the haul of gymnast Maria Gorokhovskaya at Helsinki in 1952 – the most won by any woman in one Olympics.
IRELAND BOXER WITHDRAWS FROM SEMI-FINAL
Ireland's Aidan Walsh was forced to withdraw from his welterweight semi-final bout against Great Britain's Pat McCormack due to an ankle injury suffered in the quarter-finals.
McCormack moves on to fight for gold against the winner of the other semi between Cuba's Roniel Iglesias and Andrei Zamkovoi of the Russian Olympic Committee.
Walsh will leave Tokyo with a bronze medal and the praise of Ireland's boxing team leader Bernard Dunne.
"What Aidan did this week is an incredible achievement," Dunne said in a statement. "His performance throughout the tournament has been outstanding.
"It is great to see him write his name in the annals of Irish sport. Just over two years ago we selected Aidan for his first major championship, and over the past few months that potential that we had identified has grown and developed into a world-class performance, that reflects greatly on the level of preparation he has put in ahead of these Games."
Walsh's older sister Michaela also fought in Tokyo, falling Monday in the featherweight round of 16.
Warholm finished in 45.94 seconds, well ahead of his own previous record mark of 46.70. USA's Rai Benjamin claimed silver in 46.17, also beating the old world record, with Alison dos Santos taking bronze in 46.72.
"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.
"With all the respect for all the athletes, there are athletes that were not good that will get an Olympic gold. Rai running 46.17 would deserve a gold medal. It is crazy, it is just an honour to be a part of it. I never thought in my wildest imagination that this would be possible."
Asked about his dash to the line in the closing metres, Warholm added: "I couldn't even feel my legs. I knew I had a crazy American trying to catch me, so I ran for my life."
Germany's Malaika Mihambo admitted she could not watch the finale to the women's long jump as she won gold.
Mihambo took the lead with a jump of 7.00m with her final attempt before USA's Brittney Reese and Nigeria's Ese Brume had their last jumps.
Neither could better the leading mark, with Reese settling for silver with 6.97 metres on countback ahead of Brume.
"It was really hard to watch, so I tried to just have a sneak peek on the display and see how far it was," Mihambo said.
"I really don't like this position where you cannot do anything about it, and you just have to let the girls do what they're able to do. You have to wait, so it was a horrible moment, but at least it was short.
“I feel overwhelmed. It was, I think, the most exciting women’s long jump competition in history."
DURANT DOMINATES AS USA SURVIVE SCARE
The United States did not have it all their way but triumphed 95-81 over Spain to seal a spot in the men's basketball semi-finals.
Spain led by as much as 10 points in the second quarter before USA drew level by half-time and accelerated in the second half. Spain again closed within four points of the gold medal favourites in the final quarter, inspired by Ricky Rubio's 38 points.
Kevin Durant excelled for Team USA, with 29 points and four assists, while Jrue Holiday contributed 12 points and five assists as they capitalised on a 17-9 turnover differential.
USA lost to Australia and Nigeria in exhibition games prior to Tokyo 2020 before losing their Olympics opener to France but have since steadied.
The winner of Australia-Argentina will play USA in the semi-finals on Thursday.
NBA duo Zoran Dragic (27 points, six rebounds and four assists) and Luka Doncic (20 points, eight rebounds and 11 assists) starred as Slovenia also progressed to the semi-finals with a 94-70 win over Germany.
CARRINGTON'S GOLD KAYAKING DOUBLE
New Zealand's Lisa Carrington had a golden day in the kayaking, remarkably winning two gold medals within an hour.
Carrington won her third straight gold in the women's kayak single 200m with an Olympic best time of 38.12 seconds, ahead of Spain's Teresa Portela and Denmark's Emma Jorgensen.
The New Zealander backed up alongside Caitlin Regal to win the women's kayak double 500m final with a world best time of 1:35.785.
Carrington joined fellow kayakers Ian Ferguson and Paul MacDonald and equestrian great Sir Mark Todd as the only New Zealanders to have won five medals at the Olympic Games.
The 32-year-old may win more medals too, competing in the K1 500 event which starts on Wednesday.
“Today was about taking just one race at a time," Carrington said. "There's a plan, and it was just about executing it. For me, it was just trying to stay in the moment and doing the best I can. We've worked really hard and knew today was going to be a big day.”
HENDRICKX POWERS BELGIUM INTO HOCKEY FINAL
World champions Belgium qualified for the gold medal match of the men's hockey after a commanding final quarter sealed a 5-2 win over India.
Belgium piled on three fourth-quarter goals to guarantee a medal in the decider where they will face either Australia or Germany.
Alexander Hendrickx scored a hat-trick including two of the Red Lions' goals in the final quarter after India had fought back from an early deficit to lead 2-1 at quarter-time.
Drag flick expert Hendrickx has scored an unrivalled 14 goals during Belgium's Tokyo 2020 campaign, eight clear of the next best, Australia's Blake Govers.
Hendrickx said: "It's really a team job that comes together. It's my name on the scoresheet, but it's a team job."
World number one Australia and sixth-ranked Germany meet later on Tuesday to determine the other gold medal match finalist.
The Wolverhampton-based light heavyweight set up a Sunday semi-final against Russian Olympic Committee's Imam Khataev after scoring a majority points win over Brazilian Keno Machado.
Whittaker was overwhelmed by the result and burst into tears at the realisation he would be taking home a medal.
"That was the hard part, getting that medal," Whittaker said. "I won't relax, but I've pushed through that first door now and all I have to do is start changing that colour. Bronze is a lovely colour but everyone wants gold."
His verdict until beating Machado was that anything less than gold would amount to "nothing", but when the reality that he would be on the podium struck, Whittaker let his emotions spill out.
"I was crying, bogies were flying everywhere. I was trying to keep as calm as I could but I couldn't help it," Whittaker said. "I've just got to compose myself now as Sunday is when it gets real.”
He said his father, a council worker, would usually be at work at 5am but was given permission to stay at home to watch the 24-year-old Olympian in action.
"He hasn't slept all night and he has been giving me tactics, trying to keep me calm but I know my dad when he is nervous. His nervousness was making me a bit nervous," Whittaker said.
"My mum was probably trying to talk to him and he was probably telling her to shut up and whatnot. But bless him, I've done it for him, not just me."
Khataev had a third-round knockout win over Spain's Gazi Jalidov to earn a shot at Whittaker next.
The other light heavy semi-final will see Azerbaijan's Loren Berto Alfonso Dominguez tackle Cuban Arlen Lopez after both enjoyed unanimous judges' verdicts.
CUBAN STAR TAKES DOWN JOHNSON
Cuban welterweight fighter Roniel Iglesias earned a third Olympic medal after sinking American Delante Johnson with a sweep of the scorecards.
After a bronze in Beijing and gold at London in 2012, Iglesias savoured another chance to target the top step of the podium.
The 32-year-old said: "It is my third medal which is very important but what I really want is to win the gold medal. It is a historic moment for me and for my country, Cuba. I am very happy at this achievement."
Russian Andrei Zamkovoi awaits him next, with Great Britain's Pat McCormack tackling Ireland's Aidan Walsh on the opposite side of the draw.
FIRE FUELS JONES GOLD DREAM
American Oshae Jones saw off Dominican Maria Moronta on points in their women's welterweight last-eight clash, and afterwards the 23-year-old from Ohio opened up on the fire that nearly took her life in May.
Jones was woken by banging on the door of her Toledo home as a blaze took hold of her home. Now a guaranteed medallist, she recalled: "We barely got out. We've got pretty noisy neighbours, thank god. Any other neighbourhood, where people mind their business, I would be dead.
"The home is coming together again, slowly but surely. I had to get a whole new roof and inside drywall, wiring. It's a lot, but I keep pushing every day. My boyfriend and I had purchased it. It was a fixer-up and we were almost done. Now we've had to start over.
"It's always in the back of my mind when I am at camp: what I am going to go home to, is the house going to be done? All I can do is give my best here.
"I’ve thought about winning a medal and had a vision of me standing on the podium. I practise my gold-medal speech every day, so I plan on winning."
'FIST THROUGH HIS FACE'
New Zealander David Nyika secured a heavyweight medal by beating Belarusian Uladzislau Smiahlikau emphatically on points, and 2019 World Championship winner Muslim Gadzhimagomedov stands in his way of a place in the final.
If Nyika gets his way, Gadzhimagomedov will not be standing for long when they battle it out on Tuesday.
"Yeah, 'Gadz' is top class. I have nothing but respect for him as he has accomplished so much. But I'm going to try and put my fist through his face," said Nyika.
The 25-year-old Nyika was a flagbearer for his country at the Olympic opening ceremony and is feeling the weight of expectation to deliver.
"Getting bronze doesn't take the pressure off, I'm still under a lot of pressure. The rest of New Zealand is shouting for me but I know I've got a lot more to do," he said.
"I've got a lot to prove, not only to them but to myself. I've been working so hard and mentally I've been through some pretty rugged stuff over the last 18 months and I'm pretty sure I'm going to come out of it on the other side a lot bigger and a lot stronger.
"I'll have proved to myself that I'm worthy of everyone’s respect and the honour that my team has given me."
The opposite heavyweight semi-final will see Brazilian Abner Teixeira tackle Cuban Julio Cruz.
Top seed Lin was beaten on points by her much smaller opponent Nesthy Petecio on a day of surprises at the Kokugikan Arena.
"I knew she was the top seed, but I didn't think about that in the ring," said Philippines hopeful Petecio, who won gold at the 2019 AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships.
"Just because I have beaten the number one doesn't make me more confident. I want to win the gold medal for my country, no one has ever done that." [Hidilyn Diaz won gold for the Philippines in the weightlifting elsewhere on Monday]
ARTINGSTALL OUT TO CEMENT HER NAME IN HISTORY
Jucielen Romeu was one of the other favourites to fall in the women's featherweight competition, going down by a unanimous points decision to Great Britain's Karriss Artingstall.
Artingstall took control of the bout with some controlled aggression and will now face Skye Nicolson, who beat Im Aeji, for a place in the semi-finals.
"Everybody wants gold," Artingstall said. "But I want my face cemented on that wall in Sheffield at boxing HQ, so they can look at my face for the rest of their lives.
"Seeds mean absolutely nothing to me, it's a number – one, twos, threes, whatever you want to call yourself.
"Until you get in that ring and beat me, I'm not going to say you're better than me or you box better than me. For her to be the number three seed meant absolutely nothing."
Michaela Walsh and Khouloud Hlimi Ep Moulahi were the other two seeds to fall on Monday, losing to Irma Testa and Sena Irie respectively on points.
HOME HOPEFUL MORIWAKI GETS HIS REVENGE
Japan's Yuito Moriwaki beat Seyedshahin Mousavi with a split decision win in the men's middleweight division to remain on course for a medal on home soil.
Moriwaki, who lost to the same opponent last year, will now take on number one seed Oleksandr Khyzhniak of Ukraine in the last 16.
"The concept for this match was revenge," Moriwaki said. "I am glad I could achieve that today.
"I was able to come here mostly because of the support from people around me. I will not forget gratitude for them and do my best."
Also through to the last 16 are the likes of Tuoheta Erbieke and Troy Isley, the latter overcoming Vitali Bandarenka on points to set up a meeting with second seed Gleb Bakshi.
NO RIO REPEAT IN STORE FOR FINOL
Yoel Finol claimed a silver medal for Venezuela at the Rio Games but he will not have a chance to match or better that achievement five years on in the men's flyweight.
The 24-year-old dropped a three-round unanimous decision to Japan's Ryomei Tanaka, and a showdown with Hu Jianguan of China now awaits the latter.
"I knew he was the silver medallist for the Rio Olympic Games. He is also very tall, too," Tanaka said.
"His weapon is a left straight punch. My weapon is also left straight. Having the same strength, I wanted to win that."
Galal Yafai, competing in his third Games for Great Britain, beat Koryan Soghomonyan with a third-round stoppage in one of the performances of the day.
The four seeded boxers – Amit Panghal, Billal Bennama, Yosvany Veitia and Mohamed Flissi – will enter the competition in the next round.
Coming into Thursday's events, China boasted a seven-gold buffer as leaders but that was reduced by the USA's Katie Nageotte in the women's pole vault and Ryan Crouser in the men's shot put – the latter of which became a back-to-back Olympic champion.
More golds followed for the USA, with Nevin Harrison winning the women's single canoe 200m sprint – her country's first medal in either canoe or kayak sprint since 1992 – and David Taylor succeeding in the men's 86kg freestyle wrestling in the last second.
After shooting a blank the previous day, China ensured a five-gold gap going into Friday as the women's table tennis team continued their dominance, overcoming Japan to secure their fourth gold in four consecutive Games.
The table-toppers have now won all four of the women's diving events in Tokyo, too, as 14-year-old Quan Hongchan set a world record in the 10m platform, making it a China one-two with fellow teenager Chen Yuxi.
Defending Olympic champion Risako Kawai, who is also a three-time world champion, triumphed once more in the women's 57kg wrestling freestyle, meaning early leaders Japan remain in third with a gold count of 22.
Australia suffered shoot-out heartbreak in the men's hockey final but climbed up to fourth with men's kayak double 1000m sprint success and their first-ever Olympic gold medal in skateboarding, courtesy of Keegan Palmer's park win.
Their 17 gold medals at the Games with three days to go equalled Australia's best-ever haul, matching the total they collected at Athens in 2004.
The Russian Olympic Committee leaped up a spot to fifth as Zaur Uguev was crowned champion in the men's 57kg wrestling freestyle and Albert Batyrgaziev fought to gold in the men's featherweight boxing.
Great Britain, who now boast 16 medals after winning just the one event on Thursday, slipped back down to sixth position with Matthew Walls' omnium gold ending Team GB's frustrating unsuccessful spell in the cycling track events.