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Joe Joyce lit up Pavilion Six on Friday afternoon with three rounds of controlled malevolence against the smart Kazak Ivan Dychko to guarantee silver and put him in with an excellent chance for gold on Sunday – as well as revenge against his old French rival, Tony Yoka.

The higher the stakes the more Jade Jones seems to like it. Four years ago she was a memorable teenage champion at the London Olympics and British taekwondo’s golden girl has now kicked and punched her way to fresh success in Rio. Her compelling blend of whirling feet and controlled aggression has once again left the world sprawling.

Moments after Usain Bolt had clinched his eighth Olympic title with much the same ease as his other seven, he smiled serenely into the cameras and hollered: “Number one!” Once again, he had proven that he was the greatest sprinter in history. But, perhaps for the first time, there was something else: a sense that as he approaches his 30th birthday on Sunday, he is not quite able to hit the very highest notes as he once did.

British cyclists Laura Trott and Jason Kenny have become the most successful Olympic couple ever by winning two more medals in the Rio velodrome – and have helped to secure Team GB’s best away Olympics with five days still to go.

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Shakur Stevenson’s dreams of winning an Olympic gold medal and ending the United States’ historic drought in men’s boxing ended in tears after he settled for silver with a split-decision loss to Cuba’s Robeisy Ramirez in the bantamweight final at Riocentro.