China joined the bull run of world records in the pool this morning and the cheer that brought Liu Zige, 19, home to a pioneering 2mins 04.18sec victory in the 200m butterfly was fit to blow the 3,000 "breathable" bubbles off the roof of the 17,000-seater Water Cube.

To add to China's joy, 17-year-old Jiao Liuyang took silver in 2:04.72, also inside the previous world-record, which had stood at 2:05.40 to Australian Jessicah Schipper since 2006. World champion in 2007 in a race that featured neither of the Chinese, Schipper was left to nurse a bronze medal, in 2:06.26.

On a day that daw Stephanie Rice of Australia claim her third gold medal, as a member of the 4x200m freestyle that wiped more than 5sec off the world record to claim victory in 7:44.31, the chants of "Jia You" - Let's Go - from Chinese fans rang to the rafters. On the sixth day of racing and fifth morning of finals, China was still waiting for a gold medal in the pool after pang Jiaying had taken bronze in the 200m freestyle and Zhang Lin silver in the 400m freestyle to become the first Chinese man ever to reach the Olympic podium in the pool. Lu Shanzhen credited the power of home support for lifting the team to victory. "The great atmosphere here in China allowed everyone to be filled with enthusiasm and good morale," said Lu.

Liu agreed that the crowd had helped to lift her to a monumental performance - her best time was more than 3sec slower before the race. She said: "I didn't feel pressure before the competition. I tried to relax. And in the race I just swam at my own pace, not caring about others. My Coach said to me that we will have two Chinese swimmers in the final, so you don't need to force yourself to win gold, you just need to try your best."

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Why didn't they ring me up before they decided to hold the Olympic Games in Beijing in August? Don't do it, I'd have said

Simon Barnes

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Asian success did not end with China. Kosuke Kitajima, of Japan, became the most successful breaststroke swimmer in history after completing a "double-double: winner if the 100m and 200m in Athens 2004, Kitajima repeated the feat here by racing just 0.13sec shy of his own world record in the 200m this morning. The title was his in 2:07.64.

"I was so calm that I think I could have seen each face in this venue" Kitajima said after the race. In June, Kitajima forced a change of policy on suits in Japan when he set the world record over 200m at 2:07.51 while wearing a Speedo LZR racer. He emerged from the water to declare that the technology had driven him to new heights and that to race at the Games in the Japanese brand of suit that his national federation was contracted to would spell "certain defeat". The federation ripped up its contract and the declared its team free to wear what it wanted in Beijing, where the pace of progress if sizzling.

Take the 4x200m relay. The United States has won the women's crown all three times since the event's introduction in 1996. The Americans raced four seconds inside their world record to set a new national standard of 7:46.33 - and settle for bronze. Ahead of them were two team who improved their national records by 10 seconds each. China took silver in 7:45.93, 1.62 sec shy of the stunning 7:44.31 effort from Australians Rice, Bronte Barratt, Kylie Palmer and Linda McKenzie. The Australian quartet wiped 5.78secs off the record of 7:50.09 set by the United States at the world championships in Melbourne last year.

Rice, winner of the 200m and 400m medley, now has three gold medals. She said: "What a great way to finish, with a gold medal and a world record. For us to break the record by so far is amazing."

So was the performance of Alain Bernard, the Frenchman who beat Rice's former boyfriend, Eamon Sullivan, to gold in the blue ribband 100m freestyle. Bernard had held the world record at 47.50 since lifting the European title in March. Sullivan clocked 47.24 leading off the Australian sprint relay on Monday. Bernard struck back with a 47.20 world record in the first semi-final yesterdaty, and Sullivan responded in the second semi with a 47.05 blast. But in the final, it was the Frenchman who found the edge in a boiling stroke-for-stroke battle that ended 47.21 to 47.32. Jason Lezak, the American who saved the scalp of Michael Phelps in the relay that kept Bernard and France at bay by 0.07sec, shared bronze with Brazil's Cesar Cielo, in 47.67. In fifth just 0.09sec shy of the podium and racing in a record fourth final of the 100m was defending champion Pieter van den Hoogenband (NED), half a second shy of becoming the first man in history to win the same crown three times in succession. "Hoogie", as he is knowm, announced his retirement after the race.

"It's enormous," said the bulky Bernard. "I can't believe it. After the relay I could have sunk, but I told myself that after all these years of hard work, I can't let myself go down. My legs were shaking at the start. I was really tense, just like the other seven guys." Sullivan was gracious in defeat. "Full credit to Alain, he swam a great race and really worked on my weaknesses. I was maybe caught into swimming other people's races. Putting in that great relay and the world record [yesterday] probably took its toll. I am looking forward to the 50m now."

Michael Phelps, of the US and with five of his eight targets behind him, took care of the routine matter os advancing to the final of the 200m medley. His 1:57.70 time was 0.01sec slower than the danger man, teammate Ryan Lochte, in the second semi. "I feel fine," said Phelps. "I think over the next few days the biggest thing is going to be trying to get as much rest as I can. If I can do that, I'll be fine." Lochte was back in later in the session, qualifying in second for the final of the 200m backstroke behind Aaron Peirsol, the teammate with whom he shares the world record.

For Britain, Fran Halsall put behind her the disappointment of the failure of the 4x200m freestyle quartet to book a place for Britain in a final that offered a medal chance. Halsall, 18, cruised into her first solo Olympic final with a 53.94sec effort in the 100m freestyle. The time fell just 0.01sec shy of the British record she set in the heats yesterday.

American Natalie Coughlan set the quickest time in the heats while world record holder Libby Trickett relied on the disqualification of China's Pang Jiaying to take her place in the final. Trickett raced more than a second outside her world record to place 9th but was relieved to find that Pang had false started.

"It was a bit harder than last night," said Halsall. "After the relay I was physically and emotionally drained so to get in and do another 53-point this morning was great. I have got a night off now so I can get focused and ready for tomorrow morning. I have been told if you can do something three times you can improve and I have swum three times in the high 53s so improving on that would be nice tomorrow morning. I don't know what it's going to take to win it but if my time is good enough I will be more than happy."

Halsall understood the enormity of having contributed to what coach Ben Titley called "a big hit for the team". On paper, the best 4x200m relay from Britain, including rebecca Adlington, 400m freestyle champion on Monday, had a clear shot at a medal. But the four women who swam the heats fell well shy of best and missed the final by half a second.

"It was really hard," said Halsall. "It was a good chance of a gold medal for the team. We had two excellent girls to come back in and fill spots and I thought I had to get up this morning and make a final for those girls. I did that and hopefully they can take some inspiration from it. If I was fresh for it, it might have been different but I have not done a 200 for a long time so it was a surreal experience. Everyone gave their best and that's all we could do."

Gregor Tait qualified for the final of the 200m backstroke for the second Olympics running after the 29-year-old narrowly missed setting a new British record in the semi-finals and James Goddard and Liam Tancock completed a successful day's action in the semi-finals for Britain by qualifying for the final of the 200m medley - behind Phelps.