The Japanese star headed into the Rio 2016 Games with doubts surrounding her prospects, having suffered a first loss in 13 years, and suggestions that she was carrying an injury.

Icho was able to battle her way into the gold medal match, where she came from behind to beat Russia’s Koblova Zholobova with just five seconds left of the contest.

The victory saw her add the 58 kilogram gold to the three previous Olympic titles she claimed at Athens 2004, Beijing 2008 and London 2012, where she competed in the women’s 63kg event.

Icho became the first female athlete in any sport to win gold in an individual event at four consecutive editions of the Games.

Cuba’s Mijain Lopez was another wrestler to achieve multiple Olympic successes, as the Greco-Roman super heavyweight won his third gold medal by beating Turkey’s Reza Kayaalp in the 130kg final.

Lopez’s 6-0 victory in the gold medal match was named as the second best wrestling story of 2016 by the governing body.

Third place was given to Helen Maroulis’ victory over Japan’s Saori Yoshida in their Olympic final meeting, with the upset at 53kg seeing the former become the first American woman to earn a wrestling gold at the Games.

Having claimed 86kg freestyle gold, Abdulrashid Sadualev's victory was named as the fourth best moment after the Russian continued his three-year unbeaten run at the Games.

The top five was completed by Tunisia’s Marwa Amri and India’s Sakshi Malik, after their bronze medals saw them achieve historic feats.

Amri was the first African wrestler to reach an Olympic podium, while Malik was the first female Indian wrestler to earn a medal at the Games.