Maroulis, winner of the world title at 55kg last year, slipped out of a headlock early in the second period for a 2-1 lead and then added a takedown with less than a minute remaining to claim a 4-1 victory.

For Yoshida, it was the first time in 14 years that she had not finished on top of the medals podium after winning three Olympic gold medals and 13 World Championship titles.

"I’ve been dreaming about wrestling Saori for so long," said Maroulis.

"She’s my hero; she’s the most decorated wrestler ever.

"It is such an honour to have wrestled her."

Yoshida was aiming to become only the second woman ever to win four Olympic gold medals in a single event in four Summer Games.

She was also aiming to be only the second wrestler to win four Olympic golds.

Her compatriot Kaori Icho had achieved the feat yesterday by winning the women’s 58kg title.

"I should have attacked sooner and more quickly, but she [Maroulis] was just stronger than me," a disconsolate Yoshida said. 

In the 53kg bronze medal matches, Azerbaijan’s Natalya Sinishin claimed a 2-1 win over Venezuela’s Betzabeth Angeli Arguello Villegas and Sweden’s Sofia Magdalena Mattsson overcame China’s Zhong Xuechen by fall.

Japanese fans could take solace from world silver medallist Risako Kawai’s 6-0 win over Belarus’ Maryia Mamashuk in the women’s 63kg freestyle final.

Victory earned Japan its fourth gold medal in women’s wrestling at Rio 2016 and 11th overall since Athens 2004 when the discipline made its Olympic Games debut.

"I am just happy and I want to just tell everyone thank you," Kawai, who claimed her first world-level title as a senior with three takedowns, said. 

"I just feel thankful to everyone."

Kazakhstan’s Yekaterina Larionova beat the US’s Elena Pirozhkova by fall in the first 63kg bronze medal match after which Poland’s Monika Michalik registered a 6-3 win over Russia’s Inna Trazhukova in the second.

In the finale of the women’s freestyle events, Canada’s Erica Wiebe defeated Kazakhstan's Guzel Manyurova 6-0 in the 75kg final.

Wiebe stepped over a failed force-out attempt for two points in the first period before adding a double-leg takedown and a spin behind in the second for a comfortable victory.

The 27-year-old's gold medal is the second for Canada after Carol Huynh won the 48kg title at Beijing 2008.

Manyurova secured her third Olympic Games medal having previously won 72kg silver for Russia at Athens 2004 and then grabbed 72kg bronze four years ago in London.

The 75kg bronze medal matches saw China’s Zhang Fengliu forge an 8-4 win over Belarus’ Vasilisa Marzaliuk and Russia’s Ekaterina Bukina claim a 5-3 victory over Cameroon’s Annabel Laure Ali.

Marzaliuk had earlier overcome the heavily favoured three-time world champion Adeline Gray of the US in the quarter-finals.

Brazil's Aline da Silva Ferreira, a silver medallist from the 2014 World Championships, suffered elimination at the same stage after losing to Bukina.  

Rio 2016 wrestling action is due to continue tomorrow with the men’s 57kg and 74kg freestyle competitions.