Beijing: Swimming phenomenon Michael Phelps wrapped up another final on Friday in his unyielding determination to rewrite the record books while the glamour track and field opened with the world's fastest men on display.
Under blue skies, a day after storms wreaked havoc with Games schedules, the United States sees the track as a chance to make up crucial ground on a currently lop-sided medal table dominated by China.
Phelps' world record in the 200m medley led a three-gold blitz by US swimmers, raising American spirits after the traditional global sporting powerhouse had struggled through the first week in Beijing.
China have won 22 gold medals from 88 completed events and the United States have 13, six of them belonging to Phelps as he moved with one of the record seven gold won by Mark Spitz 36 years ago.
Phelps, whose current career haul of 12 Olympic gold medals is a record in itself, is set to overtake Spitz if he wins his remaining two races the 100m butterfly and 4x100m medley relay.
Rebecca Soni started the late US run in the pool when she upset Australia's world champion and world record holder Leisel Jones to win the women's 200m breaststroke gold medal in world record time.
Teammate Ryan Lochte followed with a world record win in the men's 200m backstroke, to claim his first individual gold medal, and 40 minutes later he was back in the pool to take the bronze medal behind Phelps in the medley.
Britta Steffen broke the chain when she closed the swimming finals session taking the women's 100m freestyle crown, and giving Germany their eighth gold to be third on the table.
At the Bird's Nest, the futuristic track and field stadium, the countdown to the highly-anticipated men's 100m final began with the worlds three fastest men of all time on show.
American Tyson Gay and Jamaicans Asafa Powell and Usain Bolt cruised through the first round heats ahead of Saturday's final.
The real games
The first track and field medals are for the shot-putt and women's 10,000 metres.
Reese Hoffa heads two-time Olympic runner-up Adam Nelson and world indoor champion Christian Cantwell in what shapes as an American clean sweep in the men's shot-putt.
Ethiopia could sweep the women's 10,000m with three-time world champion Tirunesh Dibaba, her elder sister and 2004 Olympic runner-up Ejegayehu Dibaba vying for gold along with teammate Mestawet Tufa.
The packed tennis schedule moves into the semi-finals after a day of drama which saw top men's seed Roger Federer and and the Williams sisters all crashing out when a rain-delayed day saw play go through until after 1:30am.
Federer fell to American James Blake in straight sets and Serena Williams bowed out after a three-setter against Russia's Elena Dementieva.
Venus Williams lost to the rapidly rising Chinese Li Na, wilting in the a pressure-cooker atmosphere created by thousands of mainly Chinese fans.
American Matt Emmons was closing on the target to make shooting a family success in Bejing.
The American defending champion was fourth after the qualifying round of the men's 50m rifle prone, while his wife Katarina Emmons won a gold and silver in earlier shooting events for the Czech Republic.
Other medal sports Friday include archery, badminton, cycling, fencing, gymnastics, judo, and weightlifting.
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