China's Zhong Man celebrates after winning the men's individual sabre final match 15-9 over France's Nicolas Lopez on August 12, 2008 at the Fencing Hall of National Convention Center at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Zhong, 25, gave China their second Olympic fencing title, 24 years after Luan Jujie won the foil in Los Angeles in 1984. [Agencies]

Apart from the scintillating Phelps, the Water Cube also saw:

The return of American Aaron Peirsol, double Olympic backstroke champion in 2004. He, too, broke the world record on way to his 100m-backstroke gold.

Zimbabwean surprise Kirsty Coventry settle for a second silver, in the women's 100m backstroke, because of US world champion Natalie Coughlin's dominance.

Australian world champion Leisel Jones capturing an elusive individual Olympic gold in the women's 100m breaststroke.

In other disciplines, the Republic of Korea's (ROK) Jin Jong-oh won the gold in men's 50m pistol, holding on despite a poor final shot to edge out the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) Kim Jong-su. China's Tan Zongliang took the bronze.

American Walton Eller, the deer hunter from Texas, was in a class of his own in the men's double trap shooting, winning the gold. Italian police officer Francesco D'Aniello finished second, followed by China's Hu Binyuan.

In the absence of Chinese strongwomen, the DPRK's Pak Hyon-suk won the gold in the women's 63kg weightlifting.

Russia won two wrestling golds, with Nazyr Mankiev beating Rovshan Bayramov of Azerbaijan in the men's 55kg Greco-Roman and Islam-Beka Albiev beating Vitaliy Rahimovwon, of Azerbaijan again, in the 60kg Greco-Roman.

Athens champion Ayumi Tanimoto redeemed Japan with a second Olympic gold in judo, and Ole Bischof of Germany won the gold in the men's 81-kg.

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