Zhao Tinting-Chen Qiqiu in action during their mixed doubles match vs Gail Emms-Nathan Robertson on Monday

Athens: Australia’s Ian Thorpe won the gold in the men’s 200 metres freestyle, dubbed the “race of the century,” at the Athens Olympics on Monday.

Thorpe emerged triumphant in a time of 1:44.71 — just 0.65 outside the world record he set at the 2001 world championships — to claim his second gold in Athens after winning the 400 freestyle two days ago.

“It was tough and I did feel a bit tired,” said Thorpe. “But I was able to produce a pretty good performance and I’m ecstatic about the result.”

Pieter van den Hoogenband of The Netherlands, gold-medallist in Sydney four years ago, took silver in 1:45.23 while American Michael Phelps collected the bronze in 1:45.32.

China won their first gold in the Athens pool when twice world champion Luo Xuejuan, who had qualified seventh for the final, won the women’s 100 breaststroke in 1:06.64 ahead of Brooke Hanson and her fellow-Aussie Leisel Jones, the world record-holder.

The US won the other two golds on offer Sunday, in the two 100 backstroke finals.

Natalie Coughlin won the women’s race in 1:00.37 to add the Olympic title to the world crown she won three years ago. Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe won silver and French teenager Laure Manaudou took bronze.

Aaron Peirsol held on grimly to win the men’s event in 54.60 from Austrian Markus Rogan and Tomomi Morita of Japan.

Meanwhile, Chen Yanqing put China back in charge of Olympic women’s weightlifting on Monday, claiming the 58 kg gold medal with a record-setting effort. Chen hoisted 107.5 kg in snatch and combined it with 130 kg in clean and jerk for an Olympic record total of 237.5.

North Korea’s Ri Song-Hui, a silver-medallist in Sydney, once again settled for second with 232.5. Thai Wandee Kameaim took bronze with 230.

The Chinese were celebrating at the shooting range, too, picking up their third gold on Monday. China, in fact, bagged both gold and silver in the men’s 10m air rifle event

Zhu Qinan won with 702.7 points and his compatriot Li Jie (701.3) got silver. Jozef Gonci (697.4) of Slovakia won bronze.

India’s Abhinav Bindra slumped to seventh after being third in qualifying.

Spanish third seed Carlos Moya tamed a swirling wind and dogged Swedish opponent Thomas Enqvist to reach the second round of men’s singles with a 7-6, 6-7, 9-7 victory.

Top seed and favourite Roger Federer overcame a mid-match slump before ousting Russian Nikolay Davydenko 6-3, 5-7, 6-1.

Women’s fourth seed Elena Dementieva (Russia) suffered a surprise 6-4, 0-6, 3-6 first-round loss to unseeded Australian Alicia Molik.

Sweden’s Joachim Johansson upset men’s 12th seed Paradorn Srichaphan 6-2, 6-3.

Meanwhile, Games chief Gianna Angelopoulos could be sued and also faces a Greek prosecutor’s investigation after her fireworks party for foreign dignitaries sparked off a fire in a nearby park.

The mayor of the posh Filothei district has filed a suit against anyone responsible for Saturday’s blaze and prosecutor Spyros Mouzakitis has launched an investigation into whether all precautions had been taken for the fireworks display.