Andre De Grasse succeeded Usain Bolt as the men's 200 metres Olympic champion on a day Sydney McLaughlin broke new ground at Tokyo 2020.

Five years on from being tipped as the Jamaican legend's heir apparent after claiming silver over the same distance at Rio 2016, De Grasse went one better to clinch a first Olympic gold of his career.

Elsewhere there was a Kenya one-two in the men's 800m final, while Wojciech Nowicki celebrated success in the hammer.

Here's a round-up of the action from the athletics on Wednesday.

DE GRASSE MAKES GOOD ON RIO PROMISE

After pushing Bolt all the way in the 200m at Rio 2016, big things were expected of De Grasse but several injury woes in the intervening years stifled his progress a little.

But he has peaked at just the right time and has ultimately lived up to the billing. World champion Noah Lyles was electric out of the blocks, yet it was De Grasse who was lightning quick driving out of the bend.

With a time of 19.62 seconds, De Grasse ultimately held off the charge of Kenny Bednarek, who took silver for the United States ahead of countryman Lyles.

At the finish line there was a nice message from De Grasse, who told Lyles: "You push me man, you motivate me."

MCLAUGHLIN FOLLOWS WARHOLM LED

Just a day on from Karsten Warholm sensationally smashing the men's 400m hurdles world record, McLaughlin followed suit in the women's race.

Defending champion Dalilah Muhammad, who also ran under the previous WR time, was leading but was overtaken by McLaughlin on the finish straight – the American clocking a hugely impressive 51.46s.

"I saw Dalilah ahead of me with one to go. I just thought 'run your race'. The race doesn't really start until hurdle seven," she said.

In the women's 3000m steeplechase, Uganda's Peruth Chemutai claimed gold in a time of 9:01.45.

Courtney Frerichs had opened up a sizeable lead but Chemutai was closing by the final lap and passed her American rival on the back straight, safely negotiated the final obstacle and coasted over the line unchallenged with Frerichs taking second.

KORIR TAKES 800M GLORY, NOWICKI'S LIFETIME BEST DELIVERS GOLD

It was a Kenya one-two in the men's 800m, with Emmanuel Korir coming home in a time of 1:45.06 ahead of countryman Ferguson Rotich.

Peter Bol had taken on the pace but Korir made his move around the final bend. Bol ended up outside of the medal places with Poland's Patryk Dobek third.

In the men's hammer, Nowicki threw a whopping 82.52m to win the men's hammer. He followed up with three more throws over 81m.

The Pole had won bronze at the past four global championships and was third place at Rio 2016.

His compatriot Pawel Fajdek – a four-time world champion – finished third in his first Olympic final with an 81.53, with Norwegian Eivind Henriksen throwing a national record 81.58m to earn silver.

ELSEWHERE…

Grant Holloway, the overwhelming favourite in the men's 110m hurdles, qualified fastest for the final in 13.13, while Sifan Hassan – aiming to complete a 1500, 5000 and 10,000m treble at Tokyo 2020 – qualified for the final of the former event, having already won 5000m gold.

Dutchwoman Anouk Vetter leads the women's heptathlon through four events, although world champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson had to withdraw after injuring her calf when running the 200m, and in the men's decathlon Canada's Damian Warner is in the gold-medal position after five.

Canadian sprinter Andre De Grasse finally got his hands on an Olympic gold medal in Wednesday's 200 metres final in Tokyo.

De Grasse took silver behind the great Usain Bolt five years ago in Rio and came through an open field this time ahead of a trio of American rivals.

His time of 19.62 seconds broke his own national record set in the semi-final to lead Kenny Bednarek (19.68) and world champion Noah Lyles (19.74), with 17-year-old Erriyon Knighton – the youngest male 200m finalist in Olympic history – just missing out on a medal in fourth as five athletes went under 20 seconds.

Bednarek posted a personal best, while Lyles' time was his fastest this season, but neither could match De Grasse, who enjoyed a smooth run from lane six.

For the 26-year-old, victory ended a long wait for Games glory, having also taken bronze in the 100m in both Rio and Tokyo, with a further third-placed finish in the 4x100m last time out.

He was in control throughout this time, though, getting off to a strong start and running smoothly through the bend to hold off Bednarek in the next lane and Lyles on the inside.

Filippo Ganna came up with the goods for Italy when it mattered most with a stunning display of power in the final laps of the men's team pursuit final.

Italy clinched their sixth gold of the Tokyo Olympics by overcoming favourites Denmark in a thrilling race at the Izu Cycling Centre on Wednesday.

Ganna, the reigning world time trial champion, proved decisive as he hit the front in the final 1,000 metres, with Italy gaining a second on Denmark to cross the line in 3:42.032 and claim their eighth Olympic title in the event.

It marks a new world record and clocked in at almost eight seconds faster than Great Britain's winning time in Rio five years ago.

Denmark had looked well set to prove their favourites credentials after a superb opening three kilometres, but they failed to replicate the power shown by Ganna in the final laps and lost by 0.166s.

The Danes had overcome Team GB on Tuesday to make the final, albeit in contentious fashion, with lead rider Frederik Madsen crashing into the back of Charlie Tanfield.

FINISHING WITH A FLOURISH

Team GB had ultimately fallen foul of a somewhat controversial judging call, which meant they had to face off against Switzerland for a seventh-place finish.

However, the outgoing champions recovered to cruise to victory, setting the fastest Olympic time by a British quartet in the process.

"I wouldn't say a point to prove, we just wanted to go out on a positive note, not be disappointed because we had disappointment over the last few days and we wanted to overcome that, go out on a high and look forward to Paris," Oliver Wood told BBC Sport.

There was drama in the bronze medal race too, as Australia triumphed in a trans-Tasman tussle with New Zealand, who had to forfeit when one of their riders fell as a consequence of an overlapping wheel.

Australia have now won eight medals in the last 10 Olympic Games in the men's team pursuit, more than any other nation.

SPRINTING THROUGH

Team GB were able to get over their team disappointment with some fine individual showings from Jack Carlin and Jason Kenny in the men's sprint.

Carlin set a new Olympic record in his first heat, only to qualify as the third fastest, and though he had to survive a wobble in his second race, he progressed safely through to the quarter-finals.

He will be joined by Kenny, who showed typical tactical nous to surprise Yuta Wakimoto on the inside. World record holder Nicholas Paul of Trinidad and Tobago also progressed.

The women's Keirin heats also took place, with the major favourites all making it through.

Katy Marchant – a bronze medallist in Rio – had to do it the hard way, however, after she was relegated for an infringement in her first heat. The 28-year-old atoned in the repechage to take her place in the quarter-finals.

Great Britain's Ben Whittaker was left in tears after Arlen Lopez denied him a gold medal in the men's light heavyweight final.

A bronze medallist at the 2019 World Championship, Whittaker went one better in Tokyo. However, his gold medal hopes were dashed after a 4-1 defeat to the Cuban, who claimed his second Olympic gold in the process.

The 24-year-old looked dejected as he took to the podium, while opting not to wear the silver medal and placing it in his tracksuit pocket.

"Every boxer does not go in there to receive a silver medal. Every boxer in my weight class wanted the gold and I was one of those," he said.

"I truly woke up this morning and believed it was my time. 

"I had the whole of the west Midlands behind me, Great Britain, and I just felt like a failure, so I couldn't celebrate the silver at that time.

"I still can't just yet. When I look back in a few years it will probably be a great achievement, but I was just so upset as I wanted that gold, not the silver."

NO COMPLAINTS FROM WHITTAKER

Despite his disappointment, Whittaker was full of praise for his opponent.

Lopez became the eighth boxer to win Olympic gold medals in two events, having also won when competing at middleweight in Rio five years ago.

"The right man won. I didn't have the right gameplan and he was a lot better than I thought," Whittaker admitted.

"He's a two-time gold medallist for a reason. It showed what level he is at.

"He is a fantastic boxer and hopefully I get to see him again and try and right that wrong."
 

CLARKE BID CUT SHORT

A cut above his right eye denied Frazer Clarke a place in the men's super-heavyweight final.

The Team GB boxing captain sustained the blow during his bout with top seed Bakhodir Jalolov, who subsequently advanced through to fight for the gold medal.

But despite his disappointment, Clarke was thrilled to secure a bronze medal.

"It's not the fairy tale that I wanted, but I'm proud of myself," Clarke told BBC Sport.

"The last six months of my life, I've made more sacrifices than I've made in the last 18 years when it comes to boxing. 

"To get in there with one of the best, it's a pleasure for me, an honour for me. I'm an Olympic bronze medallist; never could I see that for myself."

TORREZ THROUGH

Jalolov will face America's Richard Torrez Jr in the battle to claim gold.

Torrez impressively stopped Kamshybek Kunkabayev of Kazakhstan in round two of their semi-final bout and the 22-year-old believes that winning a gold medal is his destiny.

"I feel like I'm supposed to be here. I feel like it's meant to be," he said. "I'm just going to keep doing all I can to be on that gold medal podium."

No American has fought in the final at the weight limit since Riddick Bowe back in 1988. He lost out to Lennox Lewis, who was representing Canada.

Adam Peaty hailed the achievement of 13-year-old Sky Brown, who claimed bronze for Team GB in the women's park skateboarding event at Tokyo 2020 on Wednesday.

Peaty enjoyed a stellar time in the pool in Japan, winning two gold medals and a silver, becoming the first British swimmer to defend an Olympic title in the process thanks to his victory in the men's 100m breaststroke.

The 26-year-old has now returned home to Britain, having confirmed he will take a break from the pool ahead of a gruelling schedule in 2022.

He is still keeping close tabs on Team GB's progress in Tokyo, however, and was thrilled to see youngster Brown clinch bronze in the debut Olympic sport.

Brown became Britain's youngest ever medallist as she nailed a final run at the Ariake Urban Sports Park to finish third behind Japanese duo Sakura Yosozumi and Kokona Hiraki.

Thirteen years Brown's senior, Peaty put her feat into perspective by admitting when he was her age his main focus was gaming.

"When I was 13 I was in my room all day playing RuneScape (with a bit of swimming)," Peaty tweeted.

"This is a crazy achievement, well done @skyandocean_".

Remarkably, Brown, who suffered a skull fracture in a crash in California last year, was not the youngest on the podium, with silver medallist Hiraki becoming the first athlete to win an Olympic medal prior to her 13th birthday.

Brown hopes her efforts havd inspired other prospective athletes to believe in themselves from a young age.

"I really hope I inspire some girls. I feel like people think I'm too young and I can't do it but, if you believe in yourself, you can do anything," she said.

"I believed in myself and I'm here.

"I honestly feel that accident made me stronger. That accident was pretty bad. It was a hard time for my parents and a hard time for a lot of people and coming back and getting the bronze is really cool.

"I'm really happy. It's really made me stronger."

Sydney McLaughlin admitted after watching Karsten Warholm's record-breaking men's 400m hurdles run she felt Wednesday's women's final could see records fall.

McLaughlin smashed her own world record in her gold medal-winning time of 51.46, eclipsing her previous mark of 51.90.

The American's run means both gold medal winners ran a world record in the women's 400m hurdles and men's 400m hurdles finals at Tokyo 2020.

McLaughlin said she watched Warholm win the men's equivalent in 45.94, breaking his previous mark of 46.7, with amazement.

"When I saw the time yesterday I was amazed but not surprised," she said. "I knew it was going to be a really fast race for them. It definitely shocked me and I thought tomorrow [Wednesday] is going to be something fast."

In both 400m hurdles events, the silver medal winners ran faster than the old world record. All six medal winners ran faster than the previous Olympic records in these events.

"I'd definitely say it's a fast track," McLaughlin said about Tokyo Olympic Stadium. "You can feel the difference. It's one of those tracks which gives you the energy."

Silver medalist Dalilah Muhammad also broke the previous world record with 51.58, while Femke Bol from the Netherlands claimed bronze in 52.03 – a European record.

"Anything is possible," McLaughlin said about future world records. "You have such an amazing field of women.

"The more we race each other, anything is possible. Technically there's always more to improve upon. in terms of what's possible, it's completely limitless."

McLaughlin's gold was the 1000th won in athletics in Olympic Games history (since 1896).

CUNHA TRIUMPHS IN SWIMMING MARATHON

Five-time world champion Ana Marcela Cunha claimed the gold medal in the women's 10km marathon swim.

The Brazilian touched first in 1.59.30.8, only 0.9 seconds ahead of reigning Olympic champion Sharon van Rouwendaal from the Netherlands. Australia's Kareena Lee claimed the bronze.

Cunha finished 10th in her home games in Rio but the open water swimmer dominated in warm yet good conditions with minimal wind or current at Odaiba Marine Park.

YOUNGSTERS DOMINATE SKATEBOARDING

Japanese teenager Sakura Yosozumi won the first-ever women's park skateboarding gold medal with a best score of 60.09 in her first of three runs.

Yosozumi beat out 12-year-old compatriot Kokona Hiraki who scored 59.04 in her second run.

Sky Brown scored a 56.47 in her final run to claim bronze and become Team GB's youngest ever Olympic medallist, at the age of 13 years and 28 days.

DUTCH DELIGHT IN RIO RE-MATCH

Felice Albers scored a double as the Netherlands secured their spot in the women's hockey gold medal match after a 5-1 win over reigning champions Great Britain.

In a re-match of the 2016 Rio gold medal showdown, the world number one Dutch side proved too strong, scoring twice within a minute in the second quarter to open up a 2-0 half-time lead.

The Netherlands will be the favourites in the final, when they play either India or Argentina on Friday.

Dutch coach Alison Annan said: "This was a really solid performance and when you win 5-1 in a semi-final you can only be very happy and proud of the players and the team with the performance they put together."

Great Britain's youngest ever Olympic medallist Sky Brown explained her final run in the park skateboarding feels "like a dream" after she claimed bronze in the debut event.

Brown, who suffered skull fractures in a fall in California last year, was already Britain's youngest representative in the nation's history at summer Olympic Games, breaking Margery Hinton's 93-year-old record.

She came into the Tokyo event in excellent form, having won gold at the X Games in July, though falls during her first two attempts at the Ariake Urban Sports Park meant she needed to pull something special out of the bag on her final run.

The 13-year-old did just that, landing every trick to score an impressive 56.47 which, with Japan's Misugu Okamoto subsequently slipping on the next run, was enough to secure bronze.

It made Brown, who finished second in qualifying, Team GB's youngest medallist at the age of 13 years and 28 days.

Okamoto's mistake also denied Japan a clean sweep of the podium, with 19-year-old Sakura Yosozumi winning gold and 12-year-old Kokona Hiraki taking silver with high scores of 60.09 and 59.04 respectively.

"I'm so happy," said a beaming Brown, whose comradery with her competitors was also evident.

"I fell twice and I was like, 'that's kinda sketchy', so I was like, 'I gotta make it'. I didn’t really think I was going to make it but I did it, and I'm so happy.

"This is insane. Everyone did amazing, everyone was doing so well, I'm so proud of everyone, and just being on the podium with my really good friend [Yosozumi] is just insane.

"It was unbelievable. Even right now it feels like a dream. It's insane. I'm so happy and so thankful and so proud of every one of the other girls, too."

"This is incredible – it feels unreal I'm so happy to be here – I'm blessed," Brown added in an interview with BBC Sport.

"I was definitely bumped, I fell twice, that made the last run feel even better. All the girls are ripping it, it was insane, it was a super sick final."

Asked what she was planning to do next, Brown laughed: "Hang out with some friends, and party?!"

While Japanese-born Brown made history for Team GB, Hiraki became the first athlete since 1936 to win an Olympic medal before her 13th birthday.

Japan have now won all three golds up for grabs so far in the skateboarding, with Momiji Nishiya and Yuto Horigome having triumphed in the street events last week.

In fact, it is the first time Japan have had a gold and silver one-two in an Olympic event since since 1976, when Mitsuo Tsukahara and Eizo Kenmotsu collected the top two medals in the men's gymnastics horizontal bar. 

Sydney McLaughlin shaved almost half a second off her own world record as she came from behind to win the women's 400m hurdles at Tokyo 2020 on Wednesday.

The American followed up Karsten Warholm's world record feats in the men's equivalent event on Tuesday, with a time of 51.46.

McLaughlin eclipsed her previous mark of 51.90, set in June earlier this year at the USA Olympic trials in Eugene.

USA's Dalilah Muhammad also broke the previous world record mark, claiming silver with a personal best 51.58.

Muhammad set the early pace but McLaughlin mowed her down over the final 100m to claim victory.

Femke Bol, from the Netherlands, won the bronze medal with a European record time of 52.03.

The top three all beat the previous Olympic record of 52.64, set by Jamaica's Melaine Walker at Beijing 2008.

Jamaica's Janieve Russell was fourth with Ukrainian pair Anna Ryzhykova and Viktoriya Tkachuk unable to threaten from the inside lanes, to finish fifth and sixth respectively.

China added three more golds to their tally at Tokyo 2020 as they continue to lead the Olympic medal table.

It was a dominant final day of artistic gymnastics competition for China, with victory for Zou Jingyuan in the men's parallel bars and for Guan Chenchen in the women's beam final as she beat compatriot Tang Xijing and the returning Simone Biles.

China also took gold and silver in the men's 3m springboard final, which saw Xie Siyi claim the title ahead of Wang Zongyuan.

The United States are eight gold medals behind China, the American team winning two on Tuesday.

Athing Mu earned a stunning victory in the women's 800m, the 19-year-old prevailing in an outstanding final in which seven of the eight runners finished under one minute and 58 seconds.

The other USA gold on day 11 came from Tamyra Mensah-Stock in the women's 68kg freestyle wrestling.

After drawing a blank on Monday, Japan had athletes back on the top of the podium with two more gold medals, taking their total to 19.

Daiki Hashimoto claimed his second gold of the Games by winning the horizontal bar final and Sena Irie took the Olympic women's featherweight boxing title.

Japan have a five-gold buffer to Australia, who are fourth in the medal table with 14, while the Russian Olympic Committee and Great Britain are tied on 13 apiece.

Great Britain's performance on their water allowed them to move level with the Russian Olympic Committee, as they won two of the four sailing golds on offer on the day.

Simone Biles explained the bronze medal she won on her return to action in Tuesday's women's balance beam final will hold a special place in her vast collection of honours.

The United States gymnastics great withdrew from the team final at the Tokyo Olympics to take care of her mental health and also did not contest the uneven bars, all-around, vault and floor – the latter three being events where she won gold at Rio 2016.

There was much anticipation after Biles' participation on the beam was confirmed and she produced a wonderful display to match the third-place finish she claimed five years ago.

In the circumstances, both of her own absence and the unexpected passing of her aunt two days ago, Biles acknowledged this feels like a far greater achievement than her exploits in Brazil, which merely garnished a haul of four golds.

"It's been a very long week, a very long five years. I didn't expect to medal today, I just wanted to go out and do it for me, and that's what I did," she said.

"It definitely feels more special, this bronze, than the balance beam bronze at Rio. I will cherish it for a long 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."

Biles repeated her calls for fans and the wider public to show empathy and kindness towards athletes on social media, given others could be experiencing similar struggles to hers this week at any given time.

"Two days ago my aunt unexpectedly passed, and that was something I wasn't expecting to happen at the Olympic Games either, so at the end of the day, you have to be a little bit more mindful of what you say online, because you have no idea of what these athletes are going through as well as [in] their sports," she said, before explaining the efforts behind the scenes that went into her being able to resume competition.

"Every day I had to be medically evaluated by the doctors, and then I had two sessions with a sports psychologist which kind of helped keep me more level-headed. 

"I was cleared to do beam, which I honestly didn't think I'd be cleared to do last night."

After her withdrawal from the team event, Biles explained she had been suffering from the "twisties" – a kind of mental block that can affect a gymnast's sense of space and dimension while in mid-air – and this prompted a change to her planned routine.

"I had nerves but they felt pretty good," she said. "I was pretty nervous for my dismount, just because we had to switch it [from a twisting dismount]. I probably haven't done a double pike dismount since I was 12, so it was kind of hard to control that.

"Usually on my events I kind of let the rhythm flow, but today I kind of had some cues, like on my switch leap, 'Up, forward,' and stuff like that."

Biles will be 27 by the time the Paris Olympics come around in 2024 and would not be drawn on whether or not she will feature in the French capital.

"I'm going to focus on myself a little more often rather than push that under the rug," she added.

"I just need to process this whole Olympic term first. It's been a lot. It's been a long five years."

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.

Elaine Thompson-Herah had been writing down the goal of defending her Olympic titles daily prior to her history-making efforts at Tokyo 2020.

The Jamaican sprint star ran the second-fastest time ever in the women's 100 metres on Saturday to retain the gold she won at Rio five years ago.

On Tuesday, Thompson-Herah was celebrating again after a time of 21.53 saw her also defend in the half-lap race, which coincidentally was also the second fastest in the record books.

Thompson-Herah consequently became the first woman to defend the sprint double and she spoke about how she focused her attentions after injuries had plagued the intervening years between the two Games.

"I'm happy, I'm overwhelmed, I'm lost for words. I never think [about] this day even though the work was put in already," she told a news conference.

"But [with] the ups and downs, the obstacles that I have been hurdling and to five years later win a double at the Olympics – it's amazing.

"I think God is good, and I've written this down – if I had my phone I can show you it's in my notes – daily. I've written it down every day; defending my titles, setting new PBs, setting new records.

"Now I can tick those off. There is more in there that I'm looking forward to accomplishing but it's an amazing feeling to be among the greatest, to be in the record books and also the history books. It's an amazing feeling."

There is now only a three-year cycle to Paris 2024 given these Games were postponed by a year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

While becoming the first woman to three-peat in both events is on her radar, Thompson-Herah is focused on a more immediate goal at the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon next year.

"Yes, three years is not far but since that I have both double Olympics I'm looking forward to [trying to win] a title in the World Championships," she added.

"I only have a silver from 2015. So therefore I'm just taking it year by year. I'm looking forward to next year in Eugene. Paris is in the books but I'm taking it year by year and looking for a World Championship title before Paris."

Thompson-Herah had spoken about how she had not slept much following her 100m win.

She elaborated on that point, saying: "Well I didn't say I was tired after the 100 metres, I said we had two runs yesterday which I have never had before.

"We had the heat in the morning and the semis in the afternoon, then to come back and run the final tonight that is tiring, of course, because normally we have every other day to compete in the 200 but this time the schedule was switched up on us where we had two races in one day. 

"So definitely, sprinting will take a lot out of your body, we are running very fast, I ran a PB in the 100m so of course I'm very tired, but it's my job. I came out here and I managed to get another PB and a national record that I'm really excited about."

Elaine Thompson-Herah joined some esteemed company by completing a 100 and 200 metres double at the same Olympics on Tuesday.

The Jamaican sprint star backed up her sensational triumph in the shorter distance, where she posted an Olympic record 10.61 seconds, to win the half-lap race in 21.53s.

In doing so, Thompson-Herah repeated the double she completed at Rio 2016 and is the first female athlete to defend each sprint title.

Indeed, only one runner has ever done so and that person happens to be the legendary Usain Bolt, who actually achieved the accolade of winning both races on three straight occasions.

Here, Stats Perform remembers the superstar duo's memorable moments of glory.

THOMPSON-HERAH:

Rio 2016 – 100m

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce was attempting to become the first woman to win the 100m title at three straight Olympics but injuries had plagued her 2016 season and she could only finish third. Instead, it was Thompson-Herah who won gold for Jamaica in a time of 10.71s. "When I crossed the line and glanced across to see I was clear I didn't quite know how to celebrate. There is a big screen back home in my community in Jamaica. I can't imagine what is happening there right now," she said on that occasion.

Rio 2016 – 200m 

Only a few days later, Thompson-Herah became the first woman since Florence Griffith-Joyner in 1988 to do the double in the women's premier sprint events (Marion Jones had done so in 2000 but later had her medals stripped). Then world champion Dafne Schippers tried to reel in her rival on the home stretch, but there was no stopping Thompson-Herah who crossed the line first in a time of 21.78s. "I know Dafne is a strong finisher, so I knew I had to have a strong finish, as well, just keep my composure and execute straight to the line," she said of the win.

Tokyo 2020 – 100m

Injuries had plagued Thompson-Herah in the intervening years but her form was peaking ahead of reaching these Games. And it all came together beautifully on Saturday when Thompson-Herah sprinted an Olympic-record time of 10.61s to lead a Jamaica one-two-three (Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson completed the podium) and defend her 100m title. "I could have gone faster if I wasn't pointing and celebrating early. But that shows there is more in store, so hopefully, one day, I can unleash that time," she said.

Tokyo 2020 – 200m 

Just like in 2016, Thompson-Herah backed up one dominant triumph with another. A time of 21.53 made her the second-fastest woman over 200m and also meant she could celebrate a place in the history books. She said: "Honestly I just need to sleep, I have not slept since the 100 metres, honestly my body is in shock mode, but I still had my composure to come out here. It feels good to be in the history book, to set a barrier for the other generation of athletes coming up because we have got a lot of athletes coming from Jamaica, it means a lot to me to set this barrier."

USAIN BOLT

Beijing 2008 – 100m 

The legendary Bolt started his era of domination in Beijing 13 years ago. In the 100m final, he ran a then world-record time of 9.69s despite easing up down the closing metres. "I wasn't bragging. When I thought I had the field covered I was celebrating. I was happy. I didn't know I'd broken it until my victory lap." With his victory, Bolt became the first men's 100m champion from Jamaica.

Beijing 2008 – 200m

At that same Games, Bolt became the first sprinter to break the 100 and 200m records at the same Olympics to take out the latter title in an astonishing time of 19.30s. Accused of jogging towards the line in earlier heats, Bolt delivered on a promise to run flat out in a dominant final. "I was worried [I might not break the record] after the semis. But I told everybody I would leave everything on the track and I did just that. I've proved I'm a true champion and that with hard work anything is possible," Bolt said.

London 2012 – 100m

Bolt had been beaten by a young pretender in the form of compatriot Yohan Blake in both 100 and 200m races in the 2012 season. But come Games time, it was Bolt who once again reigned supreme – clocking an Olympic record 9.63s (he had beaten his world benchmark from Beijing by this point) to defend the gold. "I tell you people it's all about business for me, and I brought it. When it comes down to business, I know what to do. The crowd were wonderful. I could feel that energy. I feel extremely good and happy," Bolt said.

London 2012 – 200m

An ever-relaxed Bolt enjoyed more success when he again came out on top against Blake in the 200m, winning with a time of 19.32s. In doing so, he became the first man to defend the 200m title and first to complete the 100-200m double twice. On the moment of history, he said: "I've got nothing left to prove. I've showed the world I'm the best and, right now, I just want to enjoy myself. This is my moment. I'll never forget this."

Rio 2016 – 100m

Bolt was by no means the favourite heading into his third Olympics four years ago, with long-time American rival Justin Gatlin holding the season's best prior to the Games. In the final, Bolt came good by defeating Gatlin by 0.08s. With this victory, Bolt became the first person to win the 100m title three times. In front of a jubilant crowd in Brazil, Bolt said: "It wasn't perfect today, but I got it done and I'm pretty proud of what I've achieved. Nobody else has done it or even attempted it."

Rio 2016 – 200m

He would again back up 100m glory in the 200m race, becoming the first man to win the 200m title three times despite having limited runs over the distance in the build-up to the Olympics. He ran a 19.78s to beat Canada's Andre De Grasse. "The fact I came here and executed what I wanted to is a brilliant feeling. I wasn't happy with the time when I crossed the line but I'm excited I got the gold medal - that's the key thing," Bolt said.

Elaine Thompson-Herah made history, while Karsten Warholm blasted the world record in the men's 400 metres hurdles in a frantic day of athletics action at Tokyo 2020.

Jamaican sprint star Thompson-Herah completed the 100m and 200m double becoming the first woman to defend each title at the Olympics having won both in Rio five years ago.

There was also a slice of history for Anita Wlodarczyk in the women's hammer and Athing Mu romped to victory in the 800m.

Here's a round-up of all the best action from the track and field on Tuesday.

THOMPSON-HERAH REIGNS AGAIN

It has been another Olympics to remember for Thompson-Herah, whose winning time of 21.53 seconds is the fastest ever in the women's 200m.

The 29-year-old stormed out of the bend and left her rivals trailing in her wake to take a commanding victory.

Christine Mboma of Namibia claimed the silver in a world under-20 record of 21.81 with Gabby Thomas of the United States completing the podium.

WARHOLM SMASHES RECORD IN RACE FOR THE AGES

Norwegian sensation Warholm absolutely destroyed his own 400m hurdles world record (46.70) with a blistering time of 45.94. Nearest rival Rai Benjamin himself posted a 46.17 to take silver.

"This is so crazy. It's by far the biggest moment of my life," two-time world champion Warholm said.

"I've been training like a f*****g maniac. I struggled to sleep last night because I had this special feeling in my chest. It's like the feeling I had as a six-year-old on Christmas Eve. I was so focused on getting that last medal in my collection and now it's all complete."

Also in the morning session, world champion Malaika Mihambo saved the best until last to win gold in the women's long jump.

American Brittney Reese, the 2012 Olympic champion, and Ese Brume of Nigeria had traded the lead through the first five rounds until Mihambo posted the only seven-metre jump of the competition at the sixth attempt (recording exactly 7m).

Reese finished in silver behind the German, with Brume taking the bronze.

MARVELLOUS MU TAKES 800m CROWN

Mu, the world leader over 800m this year, took up the lead almost immediately from the off and never looked back to come home in a time of 1:55.21 – setting a new American record in the process.

Keely Hodgkinson made a strong charge late in the race and set a new British benchmark of 1:55.88 to take silver.

A personal-best time of 1:56.81 from Raevyn Rogers meant the USA had two women on the podium.

HISTORY FOR WLODARCZYK AS DUPLANTIS REIGNS SUPREME

There was a sense of deja vu in the women's hammer as Wlodarczyk successfully defended the title she won at London 2012 and Rio 2016 – making her the first woman to win a trio of golds in the same discipline at three straight Games.

Her throw of 78.48m was a season's best. China's Wang Zheng took silver thanks to a 77.03m on her last throw, while Malwina Kopron of Poland was third with a 75.49m. Coincidentally the podium line-up was the same as the 2017 World Championships in London.

Mondo Duplantis lived up to his billing in the men's pole vault to win gold at his first Olympics by clearing a distance of 6.02m.

The Swede has broken the world record twice since winning silver at the World Championships in Doha two years ago, and had a crack at going to 6.19m here after it was confirmed he had won gold ahead of American Christopher Nilsen.

While he fell short there, Duplantis still fulfilled his dream of winning Olympic gold and, at 21, has plenty of time to try and beat his own benchmark.

DE GRASSE COASTS THROUGH, LYLES ALMOST PAYS THE PRICE

Fresh from winning bronze in the men's 100m, Canada's Andre De Grasse was fastest in the men's 200m with a Canadian record time of 19.73 seconds in the third semi-final.

World champion Noah Lyles is also into the final but eased up during his semi to finish outside the automatic spots and had to qualify as one of the fastest losers.

In the first round of the men's 110m hurdles, world champion Grant Holloway clocked a 13.02s – faster than the time needed to win gold at Rio 2016 and the fastest heat time of any competition in history.

Elaine Thompson-Herah won the sprint double-double at the Olympic Games after storming to victory in Tuesday's 200 metres final.

The Jamaican won in a new national record time of 21.53 seconds in Tokyo, the second-fastest in the history of the event.

Thompson-Herah, the 100m champion, also claimed gold over both distances in Rio de Janeiro five years ago. Usain Bolt is the only other male or female sprinter in history to win both titles at consecutive Games.

Christine Mbomba, barred from her preferred 400m event due to naturally high testosterone levels, took silver with another world-best under-20 time of 21.81. United States star Gabrielle Thomas won bronze ahead of Jamaican great Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.

Unsurprisingly, Thompson-Herah admitted her exploits had left her in need of a rest, having followed her 100m gold with a 200m run just 0.19 seconds short of Florence Griffith-Joyner's 1988 world record.

"Honestly, I just need to sleep!" she said to the BBC.

"I have not slept since the 100 metres, honestly my body is in shock mode, but I still had my composure to come out here.

"I knew my time wouldn't be fast because yesterday we ran two rounds, which took a lot from me, I equalled my PB last night. So to come out to get a national record and be two-time Olympic champion I am so happy.

"I was begging for the line, but you have to hold your technique through the line.

Thompson-Herah added: "It feels good to be in the history book, to set a barrier for the other generation of athletes coming up.

"We have got a lot of athletes coming from Jamaica, it means a lot to me to set this barrier."