Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte lost four sponsorship deals Monday -- a major financial hit for the embattled gold medalist stemming from his spurious claim of being robbed at gunpoint in Rio, a story later discredited by Brazilian police.

Global swimwear brand Speedo and US fashion label Ralph Lauren topped the list of companies that ended their relationships with the 32-year-old Lochte, with the former noting his actions had not reflected the "values" it wished to promote.

Yi Jianlian, who is fresh off an appearance with the Chinese national team at the Rio Olympics, has signed a contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, the NBA team announced on Monday.

Yi, of Guangdong Province, averaged 20.4 points and 6.6 rebounds in five games at the Summer Olympics, which wrapped up on Sunday.

Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko on Tuesday slammed the rejection of Russia's appeal against a ban on its Paralympians from Rio over evidence of state-run doping as "political."

The curtain descended on two weeks of high drama at the Rio Games, marked by the heroics of Olympics legends Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps as Tokyo took up the baton and promised to go one better in 2020.

As Brazil shrugs off a post-Olympic hangover to face a deepening political and economic crisis, memories of Jamaican Bolt and Phelps will linger after they set the 2016 Olympics alight.

Completing a third consecutive unbeaten run to gold, the United States crushed Serbia 96-66 in Sunday's Rio Games basketball final to win its sixth Olympic title with NBA talent in seven tries.

Kevin Durant scored 18 of his 30 points in the second quarter to trigger the rout, stretching the USA's Olympic winning streak to 25 games and its decade-long unbeaten string to 76 in what was the final gold medal match of the Games.

A Gareth Bale brace and a Marco Asensio lob helped Real Madrid make light work of Real Sociedad, running out 3-0 winners at Anoeta in their opening game of the season in La Liga.

Andy Murray hit the wall after 22 consecutive wins, as the newly-crowned Rio Olympic champion lost the final of the ATP-WTA Cincinnati Masters on Sunday to Marin Cilic 6-4, 7-5.

The 94-minute victory marked a career breakthrough for the 12th-seeded Croatian, winner of the 2014 US Open.

The Olympics ended Sunday with Brazil having shown twice in two years that it is capable of hosting the world's biggest sporting events. But was the effort worth the trouble?

The initial excitement of knowing Brazil would host both the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics turned bittersweet, at best.

Premier League giants Liverpool are the target of an 800 million pounds ($1 billion, 924 million euros) takeover bid backed by the Chinese government, British newspaper the Sunday Times reported.

There's no gain without pain at the Olympics. The blood, sweat and tears of the Rio Games:

- Bloodied but unbowed -