14 August 2008

BEIJING - Host China got a first swim gold at the Beijing Olympics from Liu Zige with a world record 100 metres butterfly performance on Thursday while Alain Bernard gave France its first- ever gold in the showpiece 100m freestyle sprint.

The Australian women's 4x200m relay team smashed the world record to take the gold and Japan's Kosuke Kitajima repeated his breaststroke double from Athens 2004.

American star Michael Phelps had no final to swim the day after becoming the most successful Olympian with 11 golds overall. But he was in the pool to qualify for the 200m medley final.

Liu led a Chinese one-two to thrill the packed Beijing Water Cube in a world record time of 2 minutes 4.18 seconds.

Jiao Liuyang, whose time of 2:04.72 was also better than Jessicah Schipper's record of 2:05.40, which she had set two years ago, won the silver medal. The Australian had to be content with bronze in 2:06.26.

Liu, who won China's seventh gold swimming medal overall, said that she did not feel pressure going into the race.

"I tried to relax and in the race I just swam at my own pace, not caring about the others.

"The night before the race my coach said to me that we will have two Chinese swimmers in the final, so you don't need to force yourself to win gold, you just need to try your best," she said.

In the men's 100m freestyle sprint, Bernard gained some revenge for earlier in the meet having lost the men's 100m freestyle world record to Eamon Sullivan as he beat the Australian to the gold medal in a time of 47.21. Sullivan finished second in 47.32.

American Jason Leazak and Brazilian Cesar Cielo Filho shared bronze in 47.67 while Dutchman Pieter van den Hoogenband failed in his bid for a third straight gold in the event by finishing fifth.

"This is the greatest day of my life. A dream has come true," said Bernard after the final of an event which saw three world records in the heats and semis. "I may have lost the world record but I am an Olympic champion and that lasts four years."

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