BEIJING (AP) _ Michael Phelps was in full form on Sunday at Beijing. He dominated his first event of the Olympics by crushing down his own world record and all hopes of his challengers with in a span of 4 minutes,3.84 seconds in the 400-meter individual medley. This was thought to be a potential stumbling block in Phelps’ quest to win eight gold medals after Ryan Lochte matched him stroke for stroke at the U.S. Olympic trials a month back.

Both went under the previous world record in the 400 IM then, with Phelps touching first in 4:05.25. Laszlo Cseh of Hungary grabbed the silver in 4:06.16, while Lochte faded to third in 4:08.09 more than 4 seconds behind.

“I’m pretty happy. That was a pretty emotional race,” was the comment by Phelps. “I knew it was going to be a tough race all the way through. Well, it was for a while.”

The top three traded the lead over the butterfly and backstroke legs. Cseh made a quick start, touching the first wall just ahead of Phelps. While Lochte claimed the lead midway through the back.

Phelps had a slight lead at the 200 mark, and it began turning into a blowout from there. “Looking and seeing all three of us together pretty much at the 200, I wasn’t really comfortable with having that close of a race,” added Phelps. “I usually have more of a gap, but it made my breaststroke a lot stronger.”

Phelps stretched his lead and powered to the wall with nearly his entire body in front of the world-record line a green marker superimposed on the video screen to show the pace of the previous mark. Phelps calls the freestyle a just downhill. Phelps touched the wall and spun around so quickly to find his time that he bumped his head on the wall.

Michael Phelps pumped both his arms in the air, and quickly spotting his mother and two sisters in the massive stands at the Water Cube. On the other side there was President Bush was waving his American flag, accompanied by the first lady, their daughter Barbara and his father, former President George H.W. Bush.

Stephanie Rice of Australia also went on rampage to hold on at the end to win the women’s 400 IM in 4:29.45 nearly 2 seconds faster than the world record of 4:31.12 set by Katie Hoff at the U.S. Olympic trials.

The Down Under team didn’t fare as well in the men’s 400 freestyle. Park Tae-hwan of South Korea owned the gold medal, snapping the dominance of Australia of the event at the Olympics. Park, the current world champion, touched in 3:41.86. Zhang Lin of China succeeded in earning his country’s first swimming medal of the games, claiming silver in 3:42.78.

American Larsen Jensen took the bronze in 3:42.78. Australia team captain Grant Hackett, who was in the lead off the blocks, struggled home in sixth.

He was second four years ago to countryman Ian Thorpe, who won the second of two straight golds in the event. Hackett will get a chance to make up for it in his best event, the 1,500 free.

On the medal stand, Phelps’ eyes watered as the U.S. flag was raised to the rafters. The only glitch came during the playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” which cut off a few seconds before the end. That was a great way to start off the meet for USA.”.

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