Asia's greatest swimmer Kosuke Kitajima stole the spotlight from Michael Phelps on Thursday with an unprecedented double-double in the Olympics breaststroke.

France's Alain Bernard won swimming's blue riband event, the men's 100 freestyle, by a whisker from Australia's Eamon Sullivan. Both men had set world records in the semi-finals.

China scored a rare 1-2 for the hosts in the pool, Liu Zige winning the women's 200 butterfly in a world record time from compatriot Jiao Liuyang. World champion Jessica Schipper, who had led at the half-way stage, had to settle for bronze.

"I just took it easy," Liu told state television.

In the men's 200 breaststroke, Kitajima led all the way to win in two minutes 07.64 seconds, just 0.13 outside his own world record.

He also got gold in the 100 on Monday and won both events in Athens, a rare Olympic achievement and the first time it has been done in the breaststroke.

He raised a finger in triumph as he left the poolside.

In the women's 100 freestyle, Australia's world record holder Libby Trickett needed a lucky break to sneak into the final, qualifying only after China's Pang Jiaying, who touched first in the second semi-final, was disqualified for a false-start.

The youngest male athlete in the Beijing Olympics, 13-year-old Dwayne Didon from the Seychelles who only started swimming at 9, competes later in the 50 freestyle heats.

Although from an Indian Ocean archipelago of 115 islands, Didon grew up in a highland village and came late to water.

"When my friends at school heard the news (of me going to the Olympics) they thought I was playing a joke on them," he said.

After becoming the all-time most successful Olympian with 11 career golds, American swimming phenomenon Phelps faces a relatively quieter day, with the semi-final of the 200 individual medley in the morning and 100 butterfly heats in the evening.

CHINA SAYS MEDALS UNDERLINE POWER SHIFT

On land, or rather in the air, Chinese gymnast Yang Wei, unbeaten on the international stage since 2006, is favourite to add to the hosts' gold medal tally in the all-round final.

Despite Phelps exploits, China lead sporting arch-rivals the United States in the medals table by 18 golds to 10, although that may change after track and field events next week.

Topping the medals table is a tangible sign of China's new global status and Beijing has invested heavily in a Soviet-style sports system that finds potential champions at an early age.

The Chinese-language People's Daily, the official paper of the ruling Communist Party, said Asia's growing strength was reflected in the medals table, and warned Western powers they would face more such challenges ahead. Nearly half of the golds awarded so far have gone to Asia.

"The growing redirection of Olympic gold medals is because the old disparities between competitive sports levels due to historical and economic causes is being constantly overturned," it said in the overseas edition.

"This also means the traditional sporting powers face stronger and stronger challengers."

Chinese fans have roared on their country's every success in Beijing but some play down the significance of coming first.

"What is important is to show China and to show Beijing to the whole world," said local businessman Sun Weiming, 46.

"Several months ago, everyone was talking about Tibet but foreigners need to know the truth about China, and we believe that through the Olympic Games the world will know the truth."

A dazzling opening ceremony followed by five magnificent days of sport have, indeed, displaced the Western media's pre-Olympic spotlight on rights issues like Chinese rule in Tibet.

Many Chinese resent the focus on that and Beijing's smog at a moment of national pride, though they remain scrupulously kind and hospitable to visitors for the Olympics. Critics say Beijing is using the Games to gloss over suppression of dissent.

But some Beijingers are starting to see the funny side. Frustrated at the sweeping security measures, a biting text message joke is circulating the capital.

"News flash: IOC President Jacques Rogge announces that because of China's enthusiasm and thoughtfulness, the next Olympics are going to be in Beijing too. Rumour has it state officials fainted and Beijing police led the wild cheers.

"Damn you, old man Rogge!"