Venus Williams produced an awesome display of power tennis to blast rising Russian star Elena Dementieva off court in the Olympic women’s singles final here today. The American needed just 58 minutes to beat the No 10 seed 6-2, 6-4 to add Olympic gold to the Wimbledon and US Open trophies she has already won this year - the best run of her career.

Her winning streak now stands at 32 matches and on the kind of form she displayed today there is little sign of it ending. Dementieva showed no signs of being overawed by the occasion, matching Williams, 20, hit for hit from the baseline to hold her service in a tightly fought opening game.

But her opponent responded with a service game to love and sustained that level of pressure to take the first set 6-2, dropping just four points on her serve. One ace in particular underlined the gulf between Williams at her best and the rest of the field. It was fired straight at Dementieva’s body at 165kph and the Russian only just managed to get out of its way, far less get a racket to it.

When Williams raced to a 4-1 lead in the second set, it looked as if proceedings were about to be brought to an even hastier end than they finally were. Williams appeared to be thinking along similar lines and the first lapse in her concentration allowed Dementieva to break serve for the first time. But the Russian was unable to hold her own service and although she rallied again to 5-4 was unable to sustain the momentum.

She managed to save Williams's first two match points but her brave resistance finally came to an end when she hit a cross court backhand just wide of the sideline, prompting a delirious response from Williams, who dropped her racket, threw her hands in the air and broke into a huge smile.

The American, whose task here was eased by the absence of world No 1 Martina Hingis and the withdrawal of outgoing champion Lindsay Davenport through injury, could go home with two gold medals. She plays in tomorrow's women’s doubles final with sister Serena.

Dementieva, who turns 19 next month, will also go home happy, having confirmed her emergence as one of the rising forces in the women’s game after her run to the US Open semi-finals earlier this month.

In the men's doubles final, the final appearance of Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge as a partnership was spoilt as they lost to Daniel Nestor and Sebastien Lareau, of Canada, 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6.