Ross and Klineman were on fire at a boiling Shiokaze Park in Tokyo as they overpowered Australian duo Mariafe Artacho del Solar and Taliqua Clancy in a 21-15, 21-16 triumph.

The match was played in searing heat with the temperature of the sand said to have been more than 50 degrees Celsius.

But while Artacho del Solar and Clancy wilted, Ross and Klineman stayed calm and composed as they swept aside their opponents in 43 minutes.

The gold medal was won when Artacho del Solar served into the net as the Australians were forced to settle for silver.

The victory sees the US return to the top of the podium in the event after their gold-medal winning streak came to an end at Rio 2016.

They were crowned champions at Athens 2004, Beijing 2008 and London 2012 before coming unstuck against home favourites Brazil in the semi-finals five years ago.

April, who claimed bronze at Rio 2016 and silver at London 2012 after losing to compatriots Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings, has now completed the set of Olympic medals.

Klineman and Ross also captured their first major title as a pairing after being beaten in the final of the 2019 World Championships.

Artacho del Solar and Clancy struggled to respond to the US team’s pressure as they quickly found themselves 7-2 behind inside the first five minutes.

April and Klimeman were dominating in the air, powering down smashes, as they established a seven-point gap at 15-8.

A block error from Clancy gave the US six set points at 20-14.

Artacho del Solar saved one of those with a smash only to send a serve long.

The US lost the first two points of the second set as the Australians tried to get a foothold in the match.

But when Clancy pushed a smash agonisingly and the Australians lost the resulting video review, April and Klineman pulled away.

The pairing won 10 straight points to take a 10-2 lead, leaving Artacho del Solar and Clancy staring down the barrel at a heavy defeat.

Artacho del Solar and Clancy managed to reduce the deficit to 16-13 but the US responded by winning five of the next eighth points to clinch gold.

Anouk Vergé-Depré and Joana Heidrich of Switzerland won the bronze medal courtesy of a straight sets victory over Tīna Graudiņa and Anastasija Kravčenoka of Latvia.

The Swiss duo completed a 21-19, 21-15 triumph in 44 minutes.

Graudiņa and Kravčenoka dug deep in both sets, saving sets points in the first and three match points in the second, but Vergé-Depré and Heidrich secured victory.