Michael Phelps equalled the record for the most Olympic gold medals by claiming his third gold medal on Tuesday.

The 23-year-old, who won six gold medals in Athens, set a world record in the men's 200-metres freestyle with a time of one minute 42.96 seconds to win his ninth Olympic title, equalling the record jointly held by Mark Spitz, athletes Carl Lewis and Paavo Nurmi as well as gymnast Larissa Latynina.

American Aaron Peirsol smashed his own world record to win the 100m backstroke title, touching the wall in a time of 52.54, 0.35 secs under the mark set at the US trials in July.

Australian world champion Leisel Jones won the 100m breaststroke title, winning by well over 1.5 seconds from American Rebecca Soni and setting a new Olympic record of 1:05.17 in the process.

American Natalie Coughlin successfully defended the 100m backstroke title she won in Athens in a time of 58.96.

In the tennis tournament, Rafael Nadal saw off former world number one Lleyton Hewitt with the minimum of fuss, coming out on top 6-1 6-2.

Third seed Novak Djokovic joined Nadal in the third round with a 6-4 6-2 triumph over Rainer Schuettler of Germany, while Roger Federer saw off Rafael Arevalo 6-2 6-4.

In the women's event, world number one Jelena Jankovic overcame a mid-match lapse to advance to the last 16 of the competition with a 7-5 6-1 win over Alona Bondarenko of the Ukraine.

Fourth seed Serena Williams raced into the third round with a 6-2 6-0 romp over Australia's Samantha Stosur.

Germany picked up the first Equestrian gold of the Games as they won team eventing award finishing with 166.10 penalty points in Hong Kong to edge out Australia (171.20).

China added another four gold medals to take their tally to 13 as they dominated the men's gymnastics, winning with a total of 286.125 points to beat Japan into the silver-medal position, who scored 278.875.

Teenage pair Chen Ruolin and Wang Xin then won the host nation's third gold out of three in the diving competition in the synchronised women's 10m platform with an impressive total of 363.54 points.

Liao Hui then took the gold in the men's 69kg weightlifting with a total lift of 348kg and then Zhong Man saw off France's Nicolas Lopez 15-9 to win the men's fencing individual sabre gold.

Romanian Mihai Covaliu downed Julien Pillet of France 15-11 for the bronze medal.

1996 Olympic champion Michal Martikan of Slovakia recaptured his title in the men's slalom canoe single in a combined total time of 176.65 seconds, while Germany's Alexander Grimm captured the gold with in 171.70 in the men's slalom kayak single.

South Korea's Jin Jong-oh took gold in the men's 50m pistol to add to the silver he won in the men's 10m pistol with a total of 660.4 points.

Walton Eller set a new Olympic qualifying record of 145 on his way to gold in the men's double trap. The Texan took the honours with a an Olympic record final score of 190.

Germany's Ole Bischof threw South Korea's Kim Jae-bum for a yuko to claim gold in the men's -81kg judo with Japan's Tanimoto Ayumi needing just 1:26 to defend her title by beating France's Lucie Decosse with an ippon in the women's -63kg.

Russia secured double gold in the Greco-Roman wrestling with Islam-Beka Albiev overpowering Azerbaijan's Vitaliy Rahimov in men's 60kg and Nazyr Mankiev taking the honours in the 55kg category.

Pak Hyon-suk won North Korea's first gold medal of the games in the women's 63kg weightlifting with a total lift of 241kg.