Joshua Buatsi takes bronze for Team GB after semi-final loss as Joe Joyce guarantees medal

Popular Team GB boxerJoshua Buatsi has won bronze in the men's 81kg light-heavyweight division at Rio 2016. The Accra-born fighter, who also finished third at last year's European Amateur Championships in Bulgaria, was already guaranteed a podium place after stopping Kennedy Katende and Elshod Rasulov before booking a semi-final spot by comfortably outpointing Abdelhafid Benchabla of Algeria.

Standing between him and an unlikely shot at gold was reigning Asian champion Adilbek Niyazymbetov, a vastly experienced southpaw who claimed silver behind Russia's Egor Mekhontsev at London 2012.

And while the physically impressive Buatsi, who recently earned plaudits from former five-weight world champion Floyd Mayweather Jr in addition to reigning heavyweight king Tyson Fury, certainly showcased more signs of significant potential, his heavy-clinching Kazakh opponent's greater nous quickly shone through.

On another hugely controversial day for Olympic boxing that saw Irish bantamweight hope Michael Conlan aim an angry tirade at the International Boxing Association (AIBA) after his shocking loss to Vladimir Nikitin, there was thankfully no hint of controversy in Niyazymbetov's unanimous decision victory.

Elsewhere for a British boxing team that have had preciously little to shout about in Rio, the towering figure of Joe Joyce secured a medal and a place in the super-heavyweight semis with an impressively dominant points defeat of Uzbekistan's Bakhodir Jalolov. He will face another Kazakh in Ivan Dychko on Friday (19 August) after the 2012 bronze medallist's victory over Nigerian Efe Ajagba.

The other last-four meeting will be contested between Frenchman Tony Yoka and Filip Hrgovic of Croatia. Lennox Lewis, Wladimir Klitschko, Audley Harrison and Anthony Joshua are among the previous gold medallists in that particular weight class.

Defending women's flyweight champion Nicola Adams, handed a bye through the round of 16, is also assured of a medal after opening her campaign with a somewhat rusty quarter-final success over Tetyana Kob. Her next challenge on Thursday is a rematch of the London 2012 final against Chinese fighter Ren Cancan. One of Ingrid Lorena Valencia or Sarah Ourahmoune will await in the final, should she come out on top once more. In Olympic boxing, both losing semi-finalists collect bronze without having to fight again.