Ethiopia’s Almaz Ayana was supposed to be enjoying a glorious Olympic debut after shattering the women’s 10,000 metres world record last week but the occasion was somewhat marred by immediate questions about whether she was clean.

Double Olympic pole vault champion Yelena Isinbayeva, a fierce critic of a Russian track and field ban at the Rio Olympics, was elected an International Olympic Committee (IOC) member yesterday but a third of the votes were against her.

Matthew Centrowitz produced a stunning gun-to-tape 1500m run on Saturday to claim the United States’ first gold in the event since 1908.

Today’s Star of the Day is Neymar, who gave Brazil a first Olympic football gold medal by burying the winning kick in the penalty shoot-out against Germany before putting the boot into his critics.

LaShawn Merritt ran a blistering anchor leg to return the men’s 4x400m title to the United States, and win his third Olympic gold medal, in the final athletics event of the Rio Games on Saturday.

Controversial South African runner Caster Semenya produced a devastating sprint finish to claim the Olympic 800m crown, four years after being denied gold by Russian dope cheat Mariya Savinova.

The United States maintained their iron grip on the Olympic women’s 4x400 metres relay on Saturday when they held off Jamaica for their sixth straight victory in the event to give anchor Allyson Felix her sixth career gold.

Thomas Rohler offered Germany a crumb of comfort after their football team lost to Brazil in the Olympic final by winning his country’s first javelin gold in 80 years.

Spaniard Ruth Beitia leaped into the Rio night to win Spain’s first Olympic gold medal in women’s athletics and claim her first global outdoor high jump crown at the age of 37 on Saturday.

Briton Mo Farah became only the second man to retain both Olympic track long-distance titles on Saturday when he produced an utterly dominant performance to add the 5,000m gold to the 10,000 he collected a week ago for a glorious double-double.

A wet outfield prevented any play on the third day of the first Test between South Africa and New Zealand at Kingsmead yesterday.

Qatar Racing Limited’s South Seas raced to an impressive win in the TCA Abu Dhabi Solario Stakes (Gr3) at Sandown Park this Saturday after overcoming a slow start.