LEFT: Ethiopia's Tirunesh Dibaba celebrates winning the gold medal as she crosses the finish line of the women's 10,000-metre final yesterday.
CENTRE: Michael Phelps ... on course for a record eight gold medals.
RIGHT: Cao Lei of China performs a lift in the women's 75 kilogramme weightlifting final to win the gold medal.

Tym Glaser, Associate Editor - Sport

BELIEVE IT or not, we are virtually halfway through the Olympic Games already.

For me, it seems just like yesterday that iconic Chinese gymnast Li Ning appeared to defy gravity as he 'ran' in mid-air to light the Olympic cauldron in Beijing's 'Bird's Nest' stadium and signal the start of the 29th Games.

It was a surreal beginning to an unreal week which has been dominated by one athlete, American superfish Michael Phelps.

By yesterday morning, the gangly guy from Baltimore had netted six gold medals and, with two more events to come, was on the verge of equalling and then breaking compatriot Mark Spitz's record of seven gold set in the Munich pool at the scarred Games of 1972.

Record medals

The 23-year-old now has the world record for most Olympic gold medals (12) and his total of 14 overall is only four behind Russian gymnastics great Larissa Latynina. With two more seemingly on the way and the fact that he'll be only 27 when the London Games roll around in 2012, Phelps is going to set a mark that may never be reached.

However, it's not the weight of the medals he has accrued that has been so impressive this week, but the way he has gone about it - completely obliterating his rivals.

He broke the world record in each event (400IM, 200IM, 200 free, 200 fly, 4x100 and 4x200 relays) and the only scare came in the 4x100 final when teammate Jason Lezak swam a superb anchor leg to haul in France at the wall and keep Phelps' dream alive.

Phenomenal feats

The American's phenomenal feats have completely overshadowed some other outstanding performers. Australia has unearthed another swim star in triple gold medal winner Samantha Rice (200IM, 400IM, 4x200 relay), Japan's Kosuke Kitajima staked his claim to being the greatest male breaststroke swimmer of all time by completing the 100-200 double at the Games again and, in a world sans Phelps, we might just be singing the praises of another American, Ryan Lochte, who has two gold (200 backstroke, 4x200 relay) and two bronze (200IM, 400IM) to his name, to date.

The pool has been the centre of activity over the first week, but not the only place to host outstanding feats and the Chinese have shone on the diving platforms and in the gymnasium.

They swept the synchronised diving golds at the 'Water Cube' and the four individual golds are also within the team's capabilities.

Over at the gym, the hosts vaulted away with the men's and women's team titles (although concerns were raised about the ages of some of the young females). Yang Wei added some icing to the cake by claiming gold in the men's all-around competition.

The Chinese, well atop the medal standings in what is a two-horse race with the Americans, also claimed multiple gold medals in weightlifting, shooting and judo.

Quiet start by Jamaica

While the sport super powers flexed their muscles, Jamaica made its customary quiet start to the Games with swimmers Alia and Jevon Atkinson setting personal bests in their events but barely making a ripple against the top times while, down in Hong Kong, Samantha Albert created history by becoming the island's first Olympic equestrian competitor.

With track and field now under way, Jamaica's presence at the Games has already picked up and a record-breaking haul of medals is expected from Bolt, Powell, Campbell-Brown and Co, but the island will be hard pressed to pass Phelps' golden tally.

Feedback: tym.glaser@gleanerjm.com