Phelps swims to immortality, pockets 11th Olympic gold

Beijing: Michael Phelps became the most decorated Summer Olympian in history on Wednesday when he took his Olympic tally to 11 gold medals by claiming titles in the 200m butterfly and the 4x200m freestyle relay with the United States.

He thereby overtakes the Olympic legends Paavo Nurmi, Carl Lewis, Mark Spitz and Larysa Latynina, who all had nine titles.

His 10th title, the men's 200m butterfly gold was won in a world record of 1min 52.03sec. While the 11th was if anything even more impressive when his team stripped some five seconds off the old mark with a time of 6min 08.45sec, sending the 23-year-old Phelps into an exultant round of celebratory hoops.

He is far from finished there and will chase thee further titles here at these Games.

The 200m butterfly gold was his fourth title and the 200m relay his fifth of this 2008 Olympics adding to the six he won at Athens.

If he can win all eight of his events at the Water Cube, he will surpass the record of seven gold medals at one Games set by US swimmer Spitz at Munich in 1972.

Also at the Water Cube on Wednesday Italy's 20-year-old freestyle beauty Federica Pelegrini won the 200m title that she just missed out on at Athens when aged just 16.

Australia's Stephanie Rice then clinched a thrilling 200m medley in a tight race with Zimbabwe's Kirsty Coventry. The Australian also won the 400m medley two days ago.

Earlier in the day in the men's 100m heat freestyle kings Alain Bernard and Eamon Sullivan both set new world records, first the Frenchman in heat 1 and then the Australian in heat 2.

The two can finish off their dispute over the gold medal on Thursday morning.

American and Chinese women head for the gym

Meanwhile the Water Cube will also see hosts and current medal table-toppers China look to maintain their monopoly of Olympic diving gold in Beijing in the men's three-metre synchronised event.

Hopes will also be high among home fans that the women's gymnastics team can equal the feat of their gold medal-winning male counterparts.

But, if the qualifiers are any guide, they are likely to face a strong challenge from arch-rivals the United States.

Cyclist Nicole Cooke, who gave Britain its first gold medal of these Games in the women's road race, is set to be in action in Wednesday's time-trial where American Kristin Armstrong is one of the favourites to take the title.

In the equivalent men's race, Switzerland's Fabian Cancellara, twice a world time-trial champion, is considered the rider to beat, but the competition is wide open in reality with the heat and humidity an added factor of uncertaintly.

Further fencing, judo, shooting, weightlifting and wrestling medals are also all on offer Wednesday, while the quarter-final line-up for the men's football tournament will also be decided.

At the start of the day China heads the medals table with 13 golds and 20 medals in total compared to seven American golds and 22 in total.