Sunisa Lee stepped up in the absence of Simone Biles to claim gold and maintain Team USA’s dominance in the women's gymnastics all-around event.

The 18-year-old became the sixth American woman to take the title – and fifth in a row – after beating Brazil's Rebeca Andrade and Angelina Melnikova to gold.

Despite withdrawing from the final to focus on her mental health, Biles was cheering on from the stands as her team-mate aimed to capitalise.

Lee was looking to continue her nation's impressive record in this event, which has seen triumph concurrently at both the Olympic Games and World Championships since 2010.

The teenager admitted she came close to quitting gymnastics following a difficult two years – both in and out of the gym.

Nevertheless, she duly delivered the goods by totalling 57.433 to take gold and edge out Andrade, who became the first Brazilian woman to claim an Olympic medal in artistic gymnastics.

"It feels crazy, it is so surreal. It's a dream come true," Lee said. "I don't even know what to say. It hasn't even sunk in. The past two years with COVID have been crazy. There was one point I wanted to quit.

"To be here and to be an Olympic gold medallist is just crazy."

PATIENT FOX COMES GOOD

Australia's Jess Fox became the first women's canoe slalom (C1) Olympic gold medallist.

A multiple World champion, Olympic gold has eluded Fox over the years. She was a silver medallist at London in 2012, while she took home a bronze from Rio four years later.

However, her persistence finally paid off after posting a time of 105.04 seconds in the final, while Great Britain's Mallory Franklin and Andrea Herzog of Germany completed the podium.

"I can't believe it," said Fox, who also won bronze in the women's kayak earlier this week.

"I was dreaming of [a gold medal] and I really believed it was within me, but you never know what is going to happen at the Olympics.

"It is about holding your nerve and I probably didn't do that very well in the kayak a couple of days before, so it was hard to get to this point. But it has been incredible to do what I did today."


CHINESE DOMINANCE CONTINUES

Chen Meng won China's ninth consecutive gold medal in the women's singles table tennis. The world number one defeated compatriot Sun Yingsha 4-2 in the final, which was competed by two Chinese players for a fourth successive Olympic Games.

Aged 27 years and 195 days old, Chen became the oldest woman to triumph in this event, eclipsing Yining Shang's previous record from 2008.

Japan's Ito Mima – gold medallist in the mixed doubles earlier this week – completed the podium by taking bronze.

However, it was a better day for the hosts in the judo with debutants Aaron Wolf and Shori Hamada winning gold.

Wolf became the first judoka to triumph in the men's -100kg on home soil after defeating Korea's Guham Cho.

Meanwhile, Hamada beat Madeline Malonga of France to secure glory in the women's -78kg.

"This was my goal for the past four years," Wolf said. "I hope I can live up to being worthy of this medal."

GOLDEN SLAM STILL ON FOR NOVAK

Novak Djokovic cruised through to the men's singles semi-finals after a commanding straight-sets victory over home favourite Kei Nishikori.

Having already won the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon this year, the world number one is aiming to become the first male player of the Open era to complete the Golden Grand Slam.

Should he claim gold in Tokyo and go on to triumph at the US Open, he would become only the second player overall to achieve the feat, after Steffi Graf in 1988.

The Serbian will play Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals after the German beat Jeremy Chardy 6-4 6-1.

Meanwhile, Marketa Vondrousova will take Belinda Bencic in the women's singles final after defeating Elina Svitolina in straight sets.

Women's doubles champions at the French Open in June, Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova are on course to repeat the feat in Tokyo after booking their place in the final.

Ash Barty's hopes of a gold medal are still alive, meanwhile, as the WTA world number one helped compatriot John Peers to victory over the Greek pair of Maria Sakkari and Stefanos Tsitsipas in the mixed doubles.