US swimming sensation Michael Phelps demolished his own world record yesterday to win the first of what he hopes will be an unprecedented eight golds in a single Olympics.
His splash of speed lit up the Games, eclipsing worries over security, heat, air pollution and intolerance of dissent that marked the Olympic build-up and lingered into the first day.
Listening to hip-hop on headphones as he walked to the blocks, Phelps went on to win the 400 metres individual medley at China's futuristic and full-to-capacity Water Cube.
His time of 4min 03.84sec was 1.41 seconds quicker than a previous best he set just six weeks ago. He was watched by US President George W. Bush and cheered by compatriots and thousands of Chinese.
"I'm pretty happy with that... it was all adrenaline," said Phelps, calling a thumbs-up by Bush in the stands "pretty cool".
Phelps's rivals lived with him for nearly three quarters of the race then fell behind on the final freestyle where his slender lead of one second over team-mate Ryan Lochte stretched and stretched until it finally snapped and away he went to finish 2.32 ahead.
Lochte had to settle for bronze after being passed by the European champion and record holder Laszio Cseh of Hungary, whose time of 4min 06.16sec was a personal best.
Even if Phelps wins only half his eight race competitions, he will hold more Olympic gold medals than any other athlete.
But the 23-year-old looks in great shape to at least match his six golds at Athens in 2004 and then beat Mark Spitz's 1972 record of seven wins at one Games.
Australia's Stephanie Rice followed Phelps with a world record of her own by clinching gold in the women's 400 individual medley.
Rice and Kirsty Coventry the reigning Olympic 200m backstroke champion, were the leading contenders for the top spot. The Australian won in a time of 4min 29.45, 0.44secs ahead of Coventry and 1.67 seconds inside the previous world best held by Katie Hoff, of the US who had to settle for bronze.
The US shattered the world record in the men's 100 freestyle relay heats. Phelps will be part of the team for today's final.
History was made when Taehwan Park the world champion handed South Korea the first Olympic swimming gold medal when winning the 400m freestyle.
The 18-year-old produced a personal best of 3min 41.86 sec, 0.58 ahead of a fast finishing Lin Zhang who won China's first swimming medal of the games.
The gold in the 4x100m relay freestyle final went to the flying Dutch squad who set a games record of 3min 33.76secs. United States and Australia finished second and third respectively.
Alexander Dale Olen, of Norway, established a games record of 59.16sec just 0.03 outside the world record, to qualify in pole position for the 100m breaststroke.