The United States powered to gold in the flagship women's Olympic eight on Thursday after fighting off fierce rivals Canada to maintain their stunning six-year winning streak and cap a thrilling day of racing on Dorney Lake. The dominance of the US women contrasted with the other two Olympic finals of the day, when New Zealand sprinted through the field to grab gold on the line in the men's double sculls while South Africa snatched victory in a thrilling men's lightweight four final.
The surprise win for the South African boat gave the nation its first Olympic rowing gold medal and prompted the head of the country's Olympic team to urge the stroke of the crew, Sizwe Ndlovu, to go home and inspire a generation of black people to take up the sport.
Having taken a half a length lead over Canada and the Netherlands in the early stages they had to hold on as their neighbours came back at them before 25,000 roaring fans packed into the course to the west of London. Great Britain enjoyed a surprise Olympics golden surge on Thursday as record-breaking US swimmer Michael Phelps targeted a 20th career Games medal.
The host nation moved into fifth place in the medals table, above traditional superpower Russia, who had President Vladimir Putin on hand to cheer on a gold-medal winning judoka. Britain captured two golds and three silvers on a day when 18 titles were up for grabs.
Peter Wilson claimed Britain's first Olympic shooting medal for 12 years in the double trap while Tim Braille and Etienne Stott edged out compatriots David Florence and Richard Hounslow in canoe slalom. World champion Wilson, who only took up shooting in 2006 and is coached by Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum, a member of Dubai's royal family, becomes Britain's first medallist in the sport since Sydney in 2000.
Britain's other two silvers came in women's -78kg judo where Gemma Gibson paid an emotional tribute to her mother who died from cancer in 2004, and their men's lightweight fours rowing team. Later Thursday, Phelps faces a dogfight in the 200m individual medley where US team-mate Ryan Lochte starts favourite to win his second individual gold of the Games.
But Phelps wants to win at least one individual title in London. There was more disappointment for struggling Australian 100m freestyle world champion James Magnussen, whose reputation took another hit Thursday when he was only 10th fastest in the 50m heats. Magnussen admitted he was struggling for motivation after his shattering loss to American Nathan Adrian in Wednesday's 100m final by just one-hundredth of a second.
Meanwhile, China's Yu Yang, one of the eight players disqualified from the Olympics for throwing a badminton match announced she is quitting the sport, saying her dreams had been "heartlessly shattered". Yu, who won a gold medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and her partner Wang Xiaoli were disqualified by the Badminton World Federation on Wednesday for "not using one's best efforts to win a match".