Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone of the USA produced a world record-breaking performance to become the first woman in history to win back-to-back Olympic 400m hurdles titles in Thursday's athletics finals.

The 25-year-old blew away reigning world champion Femke Bol of the Netherlands to take gold in 50.37 seconds at the Stade de France.

Anna Cockrell of the United States took silver in 51.87 seconds, while Bol finished third with bronze in 52.15 seconds.

Bol had been desperate to beat McLaughlin-Levrone for the first time after taking bronze at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago and silver behind the American at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, Oregon.

Historic gold for Pakistan in javelin

Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem won the men's javelin title in Paris on Thursday, his country's first individual gold at the Summer Games. They have won gold before, but as part of a team. They had not won a medal since Barcelona 92.

Nadeem broke the Olympic record of 92.97 metres to win the event, with defending champion Neeraj Chopra of India taking silver with 89.45 metres. Anderson Peters of Grenada took bronze with 88.54 metres.

Nadeem, the 2022 Commonwealth champion, fifth at the Tokyo Olympics and silver medallist at last year's World Championships in Budapest, referred to the historic rivalry with India in the sport. His rival Chopra echoed his sentiments, seeing it as an incentive for youngsters from both countries.

200 m, history and covid

Botsuano Letsile Tebogo pulled off the upset of the Olympic men's 200m final in Paris on Thursday by winning gold, while favourite Noah Lyles of the USA was third before announcing that he had covidine.

No African athlete has ever managed to compete in the half marathon, one of the star tests of the Olympic Games. It was Botswana's first Olympic gold in history. It's his third medal and all three have come from athletics.

Tebogo shone with an impressive time of 19 seconds and 46 centuries, a new African record, while silver went to American Kenneth Bednarek (19.62) and bronze to compatriot Lyles (19.70).

Botswana's Letsile Tebogo, the first African to be crowned Olympic champion in the 200 metres, said on Thursday that his title "means a lot" for his continent.

"This means a lot for the African continent. Now you can see that Africa exists on the sprinting map, the message should be clear and straightforward," said the 21-year-old, who won gold at his first Olympic Games.

110m hurdles

American Grant Holloway won Olympic gold in the men's 110m hurdles in Paris on Thursday. Olympic gold was the only medal missing from Holloway's impressive haul. With a personal best of 12.81 seconds, the 26-year-old American is the second-fastest man in history in the event.

Holloway, a three-time world champion, won the silver medal at the Tokyo Games three years ago. He clocked 12.99 seconds. Teammate Daniel Roberts took silver in a photo finish with Jamaica's Rasheed Broadbell. He clocked 13.09 seconds.

Long jump

American Tara Davis-Woodhall won Olympic gold in the women's long jump at the Paris Games on Thursday. Davis-Woodhall jumped a personal best 7.10m to win. Germany's defending champion Malaika Mihambo took silver with 6.98m and another American, Jasmine Moore, bronze with 6.96m.