Day 4 Review: China divers, US swimmers - cool in the Cube

Day 4 Review: China divers, US swimmers - cool in the CubeUpdated: 2008-08-13 01:01:17
(BEIJING August 12) -- Gold glistened as the sun shone in Beijing on a day which had Uncle Sam smiling as US swimmers ruled the pool, while China's five star flag fluttered over several awe-inspiring performances to cheer the host nation on Day 4 of Beijing 2008.
It was a different day, but the same routine in the Water Cube where rival competitors were left seeing stars (and stripes) as the United States took a trio of medals.
First, Michael Phelps kept on target for a sweep of eight gold medals by shattering another world record to win the Men's 200m Freestyle final. Phelps undercut his former record time of 1:43.86 by clocking 1:42.96 to notch his third world record of the Games – the others registered in the 400m Individual Medley and the 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay.
Phelps also matched his Olympic record to qualify for Wednesday's (August 13) Men's 200m Butterfly final.
Then Natalie Coughlin successfully defended her Olympic Women's 100m Backstroke title in a new American record time of 58.96.
The third American to step on top of the podium was Aaron Peirsol, who broke his own world record to clinch gold in the Men's 100m Backstroke final.
Australian Leisel Jones broke the day's US medal monopoly – the world champion won the Women's 100m Breaststroke final in an Olympic record time of 1:05.17.
But not everyone at the National Aquatics Center will head home with the Star Spangled Banner ringing in their ears. Spectators at this week's Diving finals could find themselves instinctively whistling the Chinese anthem instead as China's divers match Phelps medal-by-medal in their quest to scoop all eight diving medals on offer.
Their record is now three golds from three finals - the latest Chinese winners being young duo Chen Ruolin, aged 15, and Wang Xin, (16 yesterday - nice birthday present eh, Xin?) in the Women's 10m Synchronized Platform.
Chinese divers Chen Ruolin and Wang Xin (Photo credit: Getty)
But China didn't just do well in the pool. Their Men's Team seized the first Artistic Gymnastics medal of the Games, ahead of Japan who took silver and the United States who snagged bronze.
There were more Chinese cheers at the Beijing University of Aeronautics & Astronautics Gymnasium as 20-year-old Liao Hui lifted a total of 348 kilograms to win China's fourth gold Weightlifting medal of the Games, with Vencelas Ddabaya-Tientcheu of France taking silver with 338kg and Tigran Gevorg Martirosyan of Armenia, bronze.
History was made when Zhong Man won China's first-ever Fencing gold medal by thrusting his way to the Men's Individual Sabre crown by beating Nicholas Lopez of France in the final. Mihai Covaliu of Romania won the bronze medal.
Chinese fencer Zhong Man (Photo credit: Getty)
China also beat Argentina 2-0 to secure their entry in the quarterfinals of the Women's Football tournament where they will play Japan. Norway, Sweden, Germany, USA, Canada and Brazil, for whom Cristiane scored the first hat-trick of the competition in their 3-1 win over Nigeria, are also through.
There weren't quite so many Chinese smiles at the Olympic Basketball Gymnasium though, where China's Men's team, having been roundly slam-dunked by the USA in their opening match, relinquished a 12-point final-quarter lead to lose after overtime to Spain. Greece defeated Germany by 23 points and the United States crushed Angola, 97-76 in the other group B games, while in group A, Lithuania beat Iran, Croatia defeated Russia and Argentina overcame Australia in a group A.
Back among the medals, Russia dominated the opening day of action in the Beijing 2008 Wrestling tournament by winning both gold medals at stake. Islam-Beka Albiev defeated Vitaliy Rahimov of Azerbaijan to win the Men's Greco-Roman 60 kilogram final, and Nazyr Mankiev beat another Azerbaijani, Rovshan Bayramov, to take the Men's Greco-Roman 55 kilogram gold. Pak Hyon-suk earned the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's first gold medal of the Games by winning the Women's Weightlifting 63 kilogram final.
In Shooting, Jin Jong-oh of the Republic of Korea took the gold medal in the Men's 50m Pistol Final ahead of Kim Jong-su of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. China's Tan Zongliang threw away his chance to win with a relatively poor final shot of 9.2 and settled for bronze. A new Olympic record score of 145 points in the qualification round helped US shooter Walton Eller take the Men's Double Trap gold medal.
Old enough, good enough and now gold enough, Michal Martikán of Slovakia rolled back the years to recapture the Men's Slalom Canoe Singles crown 12 years after last winning in Atlanta in 1996. The Sydney and Athens silver medalist beat David Florence of Great Britain, who took the silver and Robin Bell of Australia, got bronze. Pre-race favorite, French paddler Tony Estanguet, failed in his quest for his third consecutive gold medal, and finished ninth.
Slalom canoeer Michal Martikán of Slovakia (Photo credit: Getty)
German paddler Alexander Grimm captured the Men's Slalom Kayak Single gold, with Fabien Lefevre of France, taking silver, and early-leader Benjamin Boukpeti of Togo claimed bronze.
Germany took the first Equestrian Olympic gold medal by winning the three-day Eventing Team competition. Australia finished second while Great Britain won bronze.
The United States romped to an easy win over Venezuela and Canada and comfortably cruised to a 6-1 victory over Chinese Taipei on the opening day of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Softball tournament.
There were few shocks on the third day of play of the Tennis tournament too where all of the seeds progressed in the Men's and Women's Singles and Doubles, except Men's No. 4 seed Nikolay Davydenko of Russia, who was surprisingly ousted by Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu in straight sets.
There was a minor shock in the Badminton Mixed Doubles when British duo Nathan Robertson and Gail Emms beat No. 2 seeds Zheng Bo and Gao Ling of China 21-16, 16-21, 21-19 in the round of 16. Getting pumped up for a difficult game against tough opponents backed by a vociferous home crowd, Emms said afterwards: "You wouldn't want to meet me on a dark night, would you." Not if you say so, Gail.
Among the other team sports, Montenegro thrashed Canada 12-0, Spain beat Australia 9-8, and Hungary hammered Greece 17 – 6 in the group A preliminary round of the Men's Water Polo competition at the Yingdong Natatorium. The United States beat Italy 12-11, Croatia took out 2008 World League champions Serbia 11-8, and Germany edged out China 6-5 in group B.
Those are just some of your highlights from another record-breaking, awe-inspiring day of action at Beijing 2008.