KEY POINTS:
20.12 Before we wrap up today's blog, a word on what to look out for tonight, including...
**Juliette Haigh and Nicola Coles in the rowing repechage for the women's pair from 8.30pm.
**The NZ women's soccer team, who face a daunting task to beat the US, the former
world number one ranked side. NZ have drawn one, lost one in two matches so far. That game to kick-off around 11.45pm.
**Marina Earkovic is on court to finish her first round tennis clash from 9pm, and could be in action again around 1am if she wins.
**And out at the Qingdo Olympic Sailing Centre the NZ windsurfers Barbara Kendall and Tom Ashley will be looking to improve on their 12th and fourth overall placings.
Thanks for joining us in today's blog. We'll do it all again tomorrow when Moss Burmester takes on Michael Phelps in the 200m butterfly, underway just after 2pm. All the build-up and immediate results and reaction right here. For now, it's goodnight.
19.32 As we head into the evening session of day four the updated medal table has China leading with 10 gold's. All over the city that's been the big talk - 'can we (China) top the medal count?' Good start, but early days. In fact the US have more medals - 20 to 16 - but fewer gold's .. and to the big boys, the gold's are what count.
But which country is third in the medal table?
If you said South Korea!!!... You would be correct.
19.13 Laser Radial sailor Andrew Murdoch has unofficially finished second in his opening race. The final results to be posted shortly but the crews are preparing for race two, so it looks like his runner-up finish will stand.
18.45 Mixed news for Marina Erakovic. If she wins tonight's first round tennis clash she'll have to play her second match ... tonight. After a rain out yesterday, Erakovic is tied one-set all with Japan's Ayumi Morita. With the heat a big factor her coach is protesting the decision. Local favourite Li Na awaits the winner.
18.21 Hugh McCutcheon has spoken to One News about the Beijing attack which killed his father-in-law and left his mother-in-law fighting for her life. The NZ born US volleyball coach told reporter Melissa Stokes his mother-in-law Barbara Backman was "not out of the woods yet by any means, but she's heading in the right direction". He doesn't know if he'll return to his volleyball team saying there were far more important matters at hand.
18.06 From the Qingdo Olympic Sailing Centre good news. Laser Radial sailor Andrew Murdoch was in second place after the third mark of the opening race. The sailing program is being delayed due to lack of wind.
17.21 Wow, Moss Burmester's been sick. Apparently he's had a stomach bug. Coach Jan Cameron says Burmester endured a "horror build-up". But she says he's over the worst of it and still has hopes of a medal. Way to go Moss! They breed them tough in the Bay of Plenty. That butterfly final set to go at 2.21pm tomorrow. All the build-up and immediate race results right here.
17.12 Happy days for the host city, they've scooped the gold in men's gymnastics. Reports coming in say the Chinese team have been strutting the floor, waving at their cheering fans and pumping their fists. And so they should. Their monumental collapse in the gymnastics in Athens was a national disaster. They picked up only a couple of minor medals and came home in disgrace. Call it redemption.
16.46 In the latest women's hockey results, five second half goals have seen Australia beat Spain 6-1, while Argentina drew 2-all with Great Britain.
16.27 US tennis ace Serena Williams has wasted no time in advancing to the third round today.
Williams, who is seeded fourth, thumped Australia's Samantha Stosur 6-2 6-0 in just 44 minutes.
16.17 Look for a more aggressive Tom Ashely when the second day of the men's boardsailing regatta gets going at about 6pm tonight (NZT).
Ashley had a solid start to the regatta yesterday, finishing fourth overall after two races, but his coach Grant Beck says the 24-year-old world champion is looking to come out of the blocks much faster tonight.
Beck told Newstalk ZB Ashley was cautious at the start line on day one, but is over the first day nerves and that will not be the case today.
15.41: And good news for the Aussies ..'Lethal Leisal' as they call her, Leisal Jones, the reigning world record holder has taken out the women's 100m breaststroke, her first gold medal. Nice moment for her.
15.39: Burmester is the first New Zealander in 12 years to reach a swimming final. You can probably guess who the last Kiwi was in 1996?
Danyon Loader.
15.18: Burmester is through to the final! He qualifies seventh fastest, that final tomorrow afternoon.
15.08: Burnester has finished fourth in 1.55.26. A quicker swim than his heat but he's right on the cut line. Second semi about to go now - that features Phelps - top eight times from the two races go through. Burmester tells TV1 not overly happy with his swim.
15.02: Moss Burmester is underway in his 200m butterfly semi. He needs a top eight time from the two semis to go through to the final. By the way, if you have any comments to make on the Olympics please write in on our Olympics Your Views. This is what one reader had to say about the Olympic TV coverage:
"The coverage by TVNZ has been very poor. TVNZ advertising prior to the event made little mention of the fact you needed Freeview.
Shame on you TVNZ you had 4 years to prepare for this event and you have still managed to screw it up."
14.42: The US are on fire in the pool! Two more gold's in the men's and women's backstroke with Natalie Coughlin and Aaron Piersol taking the respective 100m backstroke finals. And the final word on Phelps .. for now ... he now has nine Olympic gold's in total, the fourth person to reach that number. No one has 10. To think he'll reach 14 if he gets eight at these Olympics.
14.19:PHELPS BREAKS WORLD RECORD! No problem at all, Michael Phelps looking untouchable in setting a new 200m freestyle world record of 1.42.96. That's three gold's for Phelps after relay and individual medley successes, and we'll bring you the result from his butterfly semi just after 3pm.
14.00: Hi everyone, welcome to today's live updates blog, with the early action coming from the pool. Moss Burmester is away at 3.04pm in the first 200m butterfly semi final, Michael Phelps follows in semi number two.
Phelps is also chasing his third gold early this afternoon, lining up in the 200m freestyle final at 2.15pm.
At the Qingdo Olympic Sailing Centre Thomas Ashley looks to move into medal position in the windsurfing, he's currently fourth overall, Barbara Kendall is lying 12th in the womens. The NZ showjumping is team also in action, unfortunately well out of medal contention.