Just hours after waking up with a Michael Phelps hangover yesterday, the country was dealt the Liu Xiang blow. And though the pain of losing Liu will stay forever, the end of the day brought some smile back to China because it now looks unassailable in the gold tally.

Even the US, the leading gold winner in many a Games, has just 22 to China's 39. The athletics and some other of the US' favorite events are still being contested, but the hosts' top position seems secure.

China won four golds yesterday, two in gymnastics, one in men's table tennis team and the fourth in women's trampoline. And the almost unbeatable pole-vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva added one more gold to Russia's tally.

China has already won seven more golds than in Athens, where the US had 36 of the top medals.

Chen Yibing won the rings title, the second in the event for China in Olympics history. The last rings gold for China was won by Li Ning in Los Angeles 1984.

He Kexin lifted the uneven bars title. Her score, 16.725 points, was level with that of Nastia Liukin of the US, but she claimed the gold because her execution marks were closer to perfect 10. He's teammate Yang Yilin won the bronze with 16.650 points.

Chinese men breezed past the Germans to win the table tennis team's title. With the women's team title already in its bag, China is on course for a clean sweep of the four table tennis golds.

The inaugural trampoline (women's) gold was won by China's He Weina.

On the flip side, the Chinese men's basketball team lost to Greece 91-77 and will take on Lithuania in the quarterfinals.

At the Bird's Nest, Isinbayeva broke her own world record in the pole vault by clearing 5.05 m, Her previous mark was 5.04 m, set last month.

Irving Saladino won the men's long jump, giving Panama its first Olympic gold. The 2007 world champion won with a best jump of 8.34 m.

American Angelo Taylor won the men's 400m hurdles, finishing in 47.25 seconds to lead a US sweep in the event. Kerron Clement came second and Bershawn Jackson, third.

Agencies contributed to the story

(China Daily August 19, 2008)