The 33-year-old won by unanimous decision, cruising through the first two rounds before defending her advantage in the final two.

Adams, winner of the inaugural women’s flyweight title at London 2012, has matched the feat of British middleweight Harry Mallin, who successfully defended his Olympic title at the 1924 Games in Paris having won four years previously in Antwerp. 

"It feels absolutely amazing, especially to be able to think to myself that I’ve created history and I’m not the most accomplished British amateur boxer of all time," said Adams.

"It’s pretty much the same feeling as in London.

"I’ve had a massive amount of support from Yorkshire and the rest of the nation.

"I feel like I had all their support in the ring with me every punch I was throwing, so I’d like to say thank you to everyone."

Adams and Ourahmoune were joined on the podium by China’s Ren Cancan and Colombia’s Ingrit Lorena Valencia Victoria, the losing semi-finalists.

The second boxing final on the penultimate day of Rio 2016 action saw Cuba’s Robeisy Ramirez claim a split decision win over the United States’ Shakur Stevenson to win the men’s bantamweight crown.

Ramirez moved up in weight from his appearance at London 2012, where he triumphed in the flyweight division.

He set a better pace in the first round to win it on all three judges' scorecards, but Stevenson increased his offence to take the second unanimously.

The American landed a flurry of punches at the final bell, but two of the three judges awarded the third to Ramirez with the Cuban having continued to be the aggressor.

Defeat for 19-year-old Stevenson was the first of his international career and left the Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games gold medallist distraught.

"I'm very excited about having this gold medal," Ramirez said after his win. 

"I kept thinking about all the people that supported me to get here; my family, my wife, my friends and they supported me not only through the good moments but through the bad."

Russia’s Vladimir Nikitin was one of the two bronze medallists having pulled out of his semi-final encounter with Stevenson "due to injuries sustained in his opening two wins".

Nikitina was at the centre of controversy on Tuesday (August 16), when he was awarded a unanimous points victory over Ireland's world bantamweight champion Michael Conlan despite appearing to have lost the fight convincingly.

He was joined on the third step of the podium by Uzbekistan’s Murodjon Akhmadaliev, who lost against Ramirez in the last four.

World middleweight champion Arlen Lopez capped off today’s boxing action by claiming Cuba’s third gold and sixth medal overall of these Olympics with a on a unanimous points win over Uzbekistan's Bektemir Melikuziev.  

"He is a boxer I have fought before," said Lopez of his opponent, who he beat in last year's World Championship final. 

"He was in the final, which means his ability is high. 

"He went out to execute his plan, and I went out to destroy this plan. 

"That is what I did and I won the fight."

Azerbaijan’s Kamran Shakhsuvarly and Mexico’s Misael Uziel Rodriguez completed the podium.

Rio 2016 boxing action is due to conclude tomorrow with the women’s middleweight final set to be followed by the gold medal matches in the men’s flyweight, light welterweight and super heavyweight divisions.