Olympics - Swimming: Michael Phelps needed a little help from his friends to pip France in the relay in the early hours of this morning to keep alive his dream of eight golds in the most exciting moment so far of the Beijing Olympics.
While records tumbled in the Water Cube pool, a familiar shadow fell over the third day when a Spanish cyclist became the first competitor to fail a drug test in Beijing.
China had so far avoided the doping scandals that so tarnished the Athens Olympics four years ago. But the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced Maria Isabel Moreno, 29, was caught taking the endurance-boosting EPO drug.
Moreno, who could now face a two-year ban and also miss the 2012 London Olympics, went home to Spain after the test that was taken before the Games' opening. The IOC plans more than 4,500 tests and expects between 30 and 40 positive cases.
Phelps, who has made the early headlines in Beijing with his quest for an unprecedented medal haul, left the US team second after the first leg of the 4x100 metre freestyle relay.
And France looked sure to win when former record holder Alain Bernard led by half a body length with one lap to go.
So it took an astonishing comeback from Phelps' American team mate Jason Lezak to beat the French by a finger-tip at the death.
A relieved and usually cool Phelps, 23, pumped his arms in the air and screamed for joy amid wild celebrations on the US team whom France had boasted about "smashing" in the build-up.
"Jason finished that race better than we could even ask for," the usually cool Phelps said. "I was so fired up."
The Americans took nearly four seconds off the world record, a big margin in swimming. In all, five relay teams beat it.
Rebecca Adlington won Britain's first Olympic women's swimming title in nearly half a century with a last-gasp victory in the 400 metres freestyle after being fourth at the final turn.
"I am so proud to be British," she enthused afterwards.