Gold medalist Serena Williams of the United States poses on the podium during the medal ceremony for the gold medal match of the Women's Singles Tennis on Day 8.

Serena Williams clinched her first Olympic singles gold medal with a 6-0, 6-1 demolition of Maria Sharapova in the most one-sided women's final in the history of the Games today.

Williams' victory surpassed Suzanne Lenglen's 6-3, 6-0 win over Dorothy Holman in the 1920 final in Antwerp.

The American's win, which came just a month after she had captured a fifth Wimbledon crown, also allowed her to become just the second woman to win a Golden Slam of all four majors and an Olympic singles title.

The 30-year-old emulates German legend Steffi Graf, who achieved the same feat in 1988 when she won the five titles in the same year.