Ash Moloney has won Australia’s first athletics medal of the Tokyo Games, hanging tough through a gruelling second day to finish third in the decathlon.

The 21-year-old Moloney was in the medal positions through all 10 events and gritted it out in the concluding 1500m to clinch the bronze medal.

Canada’s Damian Warner won the gold.

Until Thursday, no Australian had ever finished higher than sixth in an Olympic decathlon.