Dragon enters pool

He led for the first 300 metres under world record pace and held on for second in 3:42.06. American Peter Vanderkaay was third in 3:44.69.

Sun Yang came within a whisker of breaking the world record to win the men8217;s 400 metres freestyle final at the London Aquatics Centre on Saturday and became the first Chinese man to win an Olympic swimming title.

The 20-year-old sprinted clear of his rivals on the final 100 metres to win the gold in three minutes 40.14 seconds,just 0.07 outside the world record of 3:40.07,set by Germany8217;s Paul Biedermann at the 2009 world championships in Rome during the height of the bodysuit controversy.

South Korea8217;s Park Tae-hwan,who won the event in Beijing four years ago,finished second after winning an appeal just to compete in the final. He led for the first 300 metres under world record pace and held on for second in 3:42.06. American Peter Vanderkaay was third in 3:44.69.

The 22-year-old Park easily won his morning heat only to be told he had been disqualified for a false start but the Korean Swimming Federation protested to the sport8217;s world governing body and succeeded in getting the decision overturned. Sun also holds the world record for the 1500 freestyle,the longest event in the pool,which he set at last year8217;s world championships in Shanghai and is an overwhelming favourite to win the gold in London. Biedermann failed to qualify for the final after finishing 13th overall in the heats.

Ye smashes world mark

China8217;s Ye Shiwen set the first world record at the Olympic pool,winning the women8217;s 400-meter individual medley with a dominant finishing kick Saturday night.

The 16-year-old Ye trailed American teenager Elizabeth Beisel more than halfway through the grueling race but pulled away in the freestyle leg to win gold in 4 minutes,28.43 seconds. She beat the mark of 4:29.45 set by Stephanie Rice at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Beisel settled for silver in 4:31.27,while China8217;s Li Xuanxu took the bronze in 4:32.91. Ye was the second Chinese swimmer to win gold on the opening night of swimming competition at the London Olympics. Sun Yang won the men8217;s 400 freestyle.