It's official: Michael Phelps (USA) is as great as the greatest on Olympic gold-medal count. There are no superlatives worthy of what just unfolded here at the Water Cube: a world record of 1:42.96 in the 200m freestyle. Imagine, more than a second ahead of Ian Thorpe at his very best.

The splits: 24.31 50.29 1:16.84; 1:42.96 Phelps's former WR: 24.47; 51.00; 1:17.73; 1:43.86

Silver went to Park Tae-hwan (KOR) in 1:44.85 and bronze to Peter Vanderkaay (USA) in 1:45.14. Phelps' third gold medal was won in the biggest winning margin, 1.89sec, seen over 200m in the modern era.

Victory brought a third gold medal of the Games for Phelps and his ninth overall, alongside the six he won in Athens 2004. Phelps went from his medal ceremony to his next race: the semi-final of the 200m butterfly. Tomorrow brings the final of that race and the 4x200m freestyle relay. Just 24 hours from now, Phelps could be the greatest Olympic ever in terms of gold-medal count, on 11, five of those from Beijing. Two more, and he matches Mark Spitz's record of seven golds at one Olympic Games.

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Phelps claimed the world record from Thorpe at the world championships in Melbourne last year and today took the event to a new level. No standard is safe when Superfish takes the plunge.

In the second semi-final of the 200m butterfly, Phelps did just enough to ensure progression - not only to the final but inlane 4. His time of 1:53.70 set an Olympic record. Faster than his win in Athens 2004 and faster than any other man has ever swum. Only his own world record of 1:52.09 stretched ahead of him.

The session witnessed a second world record in the 100m backstroke: Aaron Piersol (USA) defended his Olympic crown in 52.54sec, in a race that saw Liam Tancock of Britain finish fourth. The same event for women also went to the defending champion and was a distinctly American affair: the crown Natalie Coughlin's in 58.96, while US-based Kirsty Coventry, of Zimbabwe, took silver in 59.19, and Gemma Spofforth, of Britain and Florida University, was locked out of the medals by a frustrating 0.04sec behind Margaret Hoelzer, of the USA.