The crushing nature of Fijis sevens final win over Great Britain at the Deodoro Stadium in Rio meant that the countrys first ever Olympic medal was celebrated long before it was officially confirmed.In their 14th appearance at a Games, and 60 years after they first took part, the Fijians had finally arrived.From the moment captain?Osea Kolinisau notched the games first score, the result was never in doubt and the jubilation could be felt far beyond the countrys capital, Suva.The party should continue for some time too, after it was confirmed that there will be a public holiday on Aug. 22. On social media one of the islands most famous sons took to Twitter to celebrate its latest heroes.Waisele Serevi knows a thing or two about sevens rugby, and was keen to bask in the reflective glow of his countrys success:Serevi was joined in celebration by current 15-a-side star Nemani Nadolo:And it seems the party might still be ongoing for the Montpellier powerhouse:And it wasnt only Fijian stars who enjoyed the countrys charge to the gold medal:It seems World Rugby CEO Brett Gosper was pretty pleased with how the game had fared on its return to the Games:Although most stars just wanted to bask in the majesty of the performance from the Pacific islanders:It is perhaps not surprising that Wasps fly-half Danny Cipriani was impressed with the skills on display:And, of course, it wouldnt be a rugby-themed social media round-up without the thoughts of Mr. James Haskell:But, the final word will be left to British and Irish Lion, and proud elder brother, Jonathan Davies: . Roman Josi had a goal and an assist to lead the Predators to a 4-1 victory over the Dallas Stars on Monday night. . In Europe, top teams seem to be largely happy with their squads after spending nearly $1 billion in the off-season. And although English league clubs are unlikely to splash cash in January, Arsenal and Chelsea could be tempted to strengthen their squads with new strikers. . NBA officials ruled the court unplayable in the Bucks final exhibition game on Oct. 25 because players were slipping, and the game was cancelled midway through the first period. . Louis Blues teammates who would also be participating in the Olympics, Alex Pietrangelo felt right at home, no different in some ways to the travel experience of any old road trip – save for the length of the journey, that is. . -- Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Alrdridge were again the go-to duo for the Trail Blazers against the Kings. RIO DE JANEIRO -- One world record, one Olympic gold. That done, Almaz Ayana can start thinking about her best event.Ayana of Ethiopia delivered a stunning start to track and field at the Olympics on Friday with a world record in the 10,000 meters, wiping away the competition just after the halfway point and striding away to win with effortless grace.After crossing the finish line, she raised her hands in triumph and then stopped, coming to realize what she had done in only her second 10,000 at an important meet: Her time of 29 minutes, 17.45, had shaved 14.33 seconds off the 1993 mark of Chinas Wang Junxia.It was not my plan, Ayana said. Once she got going, no plan was going to stop her.At age 24, she beat the best from a previous generation. Kenyas Vivian Cheruiyot, 32, a four-time long- distance world champion placed a distant second, 15.18 seconds behind. Ayanas 31-year-old teammate, Tirunesh Dibaba, took bronze.It was a bittersweet moment for Dibaba, who had been trying to become the first woman to win an individual event for three Olympics in a row. She barely stood a chance once Ayana got going, but worked to get another medal for Ethiopia.Still, she said, I now have a bronze for my son, dedicating the medal to one-year-old Natan.Dibaba and Ayana held hands afterward -- a symbolic transition to a new era.Running with Dibaba gave me the energy, she said.If David Rudisha of Kenya provided an iconic moment four years ago in tthe London Olympics with his world record in the 800, it could be tough to find a better race than Ayanas in Rio, with nine more days to go.ddddddddddddAnd she has her favored 5,000 to come. She is convinced she still has enough in the tank for an encore. For the 5,000 I prepared well, and I dont think (running the 10,000) will make any difference. In Rome this spring, Ayana went within a second of the world mark in the 5,000, even though pace setters failed to set a steady pace.Fridays conditions were ideal -- cool and overcast with a damp track from morning rain. But the 60,000- capacity Olympic stadium was only a quarter full to see Ayanas accomplishment.The top 13 finishers all had milestones, with continental, national or personal records tumbling, perhaps making it one of the greatest womens long-distance races in history. Even double Olympic champion Tirunesh Dibaba had never run faster.Even though Kenya and Ethiopia are fierce rivals, it was the early strength of Alice Nawuwona that made Ayanas record run easier. The Kenyan delivered her at ideal pace at the halfway point, and Ayana put in a short sprint to sap any confidence from her rivals.Steadily, the world record became a possibility. With each lap, Ayana built a massive cushion.---Follow Raf Casert on Twitter at
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