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Bernard: Claims gold
Men's 100m freestyle final:
Gold: Alain Bernard (Fra) 47.21
Silver: Eamon Sullivan (Aus) 47.32
Bronze: Jason Lezak (US) 47.67
Bronze: Cesar Cielo Filho (Brz) 47.67
Women's 200m butterfly:
Gold:Liu Zige (Chn) 2:4.18 (WR)
Silver: 2 Jiao Liuyang (Chn) 2:04.72
Bronze: Jessicah Schipper (Aus) 2:06.26
Women's 4x200m freestyle relay:
Gold: Australia 7:44.31 (WR)
Silver: China 7:45.93
Bronze: United States 7:46.33
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France's Alain Bernard stormed to victory in the 100m freestyle final, denying Pieter van den Hoogenband's attempt to make history.
Dutchman van den Hoogenband was bidding to become the first male swimmer to win three consecutive Olympic titles but he didn't even finish on the podium.
Instead 25-year-old Alain Bernard edged out world record holder Eamon Sullivan of Australia with a time of 47.21 while American Jason Lezak and Brazil's Cesar Cielo Filho shared bronze.
"My first thought after I touched the wall was, 'Wow, I've won an Olympic final'," the Frenchman said.
"I just didn't want to lose, I hate losing."
Chinese dominate
The home crowd were sent into raptures as Liu Zige smashed Jessica Schipper's world record in the 200m butterfly to finish ahead of team-mate Jiao Liuyang in a time of 2:04.18.
It was China's first gold in the pool in a remarkably fast race which saw Jiao also touch under the old mark by clocking 2:04.72 while Schipper was third in 2:06.26.
"I didn't expect that I could swim so fast," Liu said. "I have never imagined that I could win the gold in the Olympic Games."
Aussie relay joy
The morning's swimming action ended on a high hote for Australia, who claimed gold in the women's 4x200m freestyle relay.
The quartet destroyed the world record in the process by well over five seconds with a time of 7:44.31 to hold off second-placed China and the USA.
"It's so exciting. This is my last Olympic event here so what a great note to finish on - world record and a first place," said Stephanie Rice, who won her third gold medal in the pool.
"We went in knowing we had a really good chance and I wasn't nervous even though I have never led off a relay before. I was trying to enjoy the moment.
"I feel amazing, I finished such a great meet as part of the relay."
