Games of the underdog: five athletes who won their country's first ever gold medal at Rio 2016
In an Olympic Games packed with shock results, five smaller countries have topped the podium for the first time
Joseph Schooling beat his idol Michael Phelps to win Singapore's first Olympic Games gold (Photo: Getty Images/Al Bello)
Monica Puig's victory against world no.2 Angelique Kerber on Saturday sent shockwaves through the tennis world and gave Puerto Rico its first ever Olympic Games gold medal, but she is not the only athlete to acheive this impressive feat at Rio 2016.
So far in Rio, a total of five countries have bagged their first ever Olympic gold medal.
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Monica Puig: Puerto Rico
The 22-year-old, whose only previous WTA singles title was at the Internationaux de Strasbourg in 2014, stunned Germany's Kerber with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 triumph at the Olympic Tennis Centre. Not only is she the first person to win gold for Puerto Rico, she is also the first female athlete representing the country to win a medal of any colour.
Monica Puig beats Angelique Kerber to seal historic first Olympic gold medal
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Joseph Schooling: Singapore
There was a 'double-whammy' element to the Singaporean swimmer's victory in the men's 100m butterfly. Not only did the 21-year-old Schooling win his country's first Olympic title in its history, he did it by beating the greatest ever Olympian Michael Phelps. The same man he had grown up idolising, as this old photo from 2008 demonstrated.
Phelps suffers shock defeat by Schooling, Singapore's first Olympic gold medallist
Hoang Xuan Vinh: Vietnam
The 41-year-old army colonel from Vietnam secured his country's first ever gold in style, firing a near bullseye to win the men’s 10m air pistol event and claim the very first medal of Rio 2016. Explaining his medal-winning tactics, he said: "I think only 'try try try'. On the last shot I don't think gold or silver. I think only try."
Fiji men's rugby sevens team
The feat by the men from the Pacific was perhaps the most impressive of all. Not only was it Fiji's first Olympic Games gold medal, it was their first ever medal of any colour. Not that they showed even a hint of nerves when the big day came. The side put in an utterly dominant display against Great Britain in the gold medal match, delivering a resounding 43-7 win.
Fiji storms to first-ever men’s rugby sevens gold at Rio 2016
Majlinda Kelmendi: Kosovo
With her country competing in its very first Olympic Games at Rio 2016, Majlinda Kelmendi beat Italy's Odette Giuffrida in the women’s judo -52kg final to put Kosovo on the medal table for the first time in its short history as an independent country. Her achievement made such an impact that even Kosovo-born British pop star Rita Ora was tweeting about it.
Majlinda Kelmendi makes history for Kosovo
