Usain Bolt claimed a record third 100m title while tennis player Andy Murray won Britain’s fifth Rio gold on GB’s best day at an overseas Olympics.
A 15th gold of the Games, putting GB second in the medal table, followed gymnast Max Whitlock’s historic double success and Justin Rose’s golf victory.
Cyclist Jason Kenny defeated team-mate Callum Skinner for his fifth title.
Bolt, 29, ran 9.81 seconds to beat Justin Gatlin to gold and follow up his titles at Beijing 2008 and London 2012.
He remains on course for the sprint ‘treble treble’ with the 200m and the 4x100m relay to come. “I expected to go faster, but I’m happy that I won,” he told BBC Sport. “I’m here to perform. I did what I had to.”
South African Wayde van Niekerk broke Michael Johnson’s 17-year-old world record by 0.15secs to win 400m gold in 43.03. The mark had stood for 6,198 days.
Wimbledon champion Murray retained his Olympic title with an epic win over Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro in the men’s singles final.
Britain secured five golds, and their three silvers included one for windsurfer Nick Dempsey to keep the team well on track for their Rio medal target of 48.
GB won six gold medals on ‘Super Saturday’ at London 2012 – the best one-day haul since eight were won in 1908.
Sailor Giles Scott is guaranteed gold in the men’s Finn class after opening an unassailable lead before Tuesday’s medal race, and boxer Joshua Buatsi will win at least a bronze.
But there will be no third Olympic medal for Christine Ohuruogu, champion in 2008 and silver medallist at London 2012. She hinted at retirement after missing out on the women’s 400m final by finishing fifth in her semi-final.
More details from the medal tracker
How the medal rush unfolded
All times BST
- 18:30: Max Whitlock, gymnastics floor exercise – gold
- 19:02: Nick Dempsey, windsurfing – silver
- 19:46: Justin Rose, golf – gold
- 20:13: Max Whitlock, pommel horse – gold
- 20:13: Louis Smith, pommel horse – silver
- 21:52: Jason Kenny, cycling sprint – gold
- 21:52: Callum Skinner, cycling sprint – silver
- 01:04: Andy Murray, tennis – gold
Stories behind the gold run
Max Whitlock – “I’ve completely outdone myself,” said the gymnast, who pipped team-mate Louis Smith to gold.
Whitlock, 23, of Hemel Hempstead, earlier gained Britain’s first Olympic gold in the sport in the men’s floor exercise.
Justin Rose – The first golfer to win an Olympic gold medal for 112 years as the sport returned to the Games.
Critics had questioned its inclusion, but the Englishman embraced the event and prevailed after a thrilling final-day shootout against Open champion Henrik Stenson.
Jason Kenny – Claimed sixth medal and fifth Olympic title of his career by retaining his men’s sprint title.
The 28-year-old from Bolton beat team-mate and room-mate Skinner to join fellow cyclist Sir Bradley Wiggins and rower Sir Steve Redgrave on five gold medals.
Andy Murray – Capped a remarkable period by becoming the first tennis player to win two Olympic singles titles by beating Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro in over four hours.
Scot Murray, 29, has helped win the Davis Cup, been voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year, become a father and won his second Wimbledon title in the last nine months.
Elsewhere at the Games
Other winners
American gymnast Simone Biles scooped her third gold medal in Rio when she soared to victory in the vault final.
Colombian Caterine Ibarguen won the women’s triple jump and Jemima Sumgong became the first Kenyan woman to win the Olympic marathon.
The first boxing title of the Games went to Uzbek light-flyweight Hasanboy Dusmatov.
Also in the news
Gold medallist Ryan Lochte and three other members of the US Olympic swimming team were robbed in Rio.
It was also a long day for long jumper Greg Rutherford, who lost his Olympic title and was also relieved of his phone, which has on it photographs of his son Milo.
In happier news, Chinese silver medallist He Zi received a marriage proposal from fellow diver Qin Kai during the podium ceremony for the women’s 3m springboard final. It could be the platform for a long and happy relationship.
And on day 10…
13:30: Swimming Women’s 10km marathon – Great Britain’s Kerri-Anne Payne competes in the open water event
13:38: Athletics Women’s 200m – First round round featuring GB’s Dina-Asher Smith.
14:00 Dressage – British riders Charlotte Dujardin and Carl Hester in the Individual Grand Prix. Concludes around 17.30.
21.23: Cycling – Mark Cavendish, third after day one, seeks his first Olympic medal in the men’s omnium. Concludes around 22:30.
22:00 Women’s hockey – Great Britain take on Spain in the quarter-finals of the women’s hockey.
02:25: Athletics Men’s 800m – Kenya’s David Rudisha bids to repeat his London 2012 display and retain the men’s 800m title.
02:45: Athletics Women’s 400m – American six-time Olympic medallist Allyson Felix targets her first 400m Olympic gold. She stepped up after winning the 200m at London 2012.
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