The Water Cube witnessed four world records in three races as the unrelenting pace of progress shows no sign of let-up.

Michael Phelps' bid for a record eight golds is was kept alive and kicking in dramatic fashion in the 4x100m freestyle relay as the United States snatched gold from France in the last stroke of the race with a phenomenal world record of 3mins 08.24. France was just 0.08sec behind for a European record.

The standard had stood to the USA since a different quartet swam 3:12.23. Phelps opened with a 47.51sec, just 0.01sec outside what had been the solo 100m world record until fractions of a second before the American stopped the clock: Eamon Sullivan cracked out a 47.24 world record to lead the Australians to the bronze medal, in 3:09.91, a Commonwealth record. Britain finished eighth but Simon Burnett, Adam Brown, Ben Hockin and Ross Davenport crushed the national record in 3:12.87, almost as fast as the previous world record. Suit technology is helping to transfigure the record books before out very eyes.

There was also a world record for defending champion Kosuke Kitajima in the 100m breaststroke, the Japanese swimmer becoming the first man to break 59sec, with a 58.91sec win over Norway's Alexander Oen and France's Hugues Duboscq. The standard had stood at 59.13 to Brendan Hansen, the American who finished fourth.

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The session opened with a world record of 58.77 for US-based Zimbabwean Kirsty Coventry in the second semi-final of the 100m backstroke. Also through to the final was Britain's Gemma Spofforth. Based at the University of Florida, she qualified by breaking her own national record in 59.79sec. There was no final for Elizabeth Simmonds, but in 10th on 1:00.39, the teenager set a personal best time and was looking forward to her stronger event, the 200m.

In the women's 100m butterfly final, Jemma Lowe, 18, finished sixth in a race won by Australia's Libby Trickett, whose 56.73 effort was just 0.12 outside the world record. Lowe clocked 58.06. Liam Tancock qualified for the final of the 100m backstroke after finishing third in his semi-final.

Robbie Renwick, 20, made the best use of his lucky break in the 200m freestyle. Out of the top 16 by 0.01sec in heats, the Scot was granted a swim in the semi-finals when Brent Hayden of Canada withdrew. Renwick clocked 1:47.07, a personal best and just shy of the British record. Phelps, the world record holder and only man to ever race inside 1:44, is the title favourite.