US swimmer Michael Phelps carved his name among Olympic greats on Tuesday, winning a record-equalling ninth gold on a dominant morning for Americans in the pool.

Only US athlete Carl Lewis, US swimmer Mark Spitz, Finnish distance runner Paavo Nurmi and Soviet gymnast Larysa Latynina have won as many golds as Phelps, who could better them all on Wednesday when he swims in two more finals.

Phelps threatens to rewrite many pages of the sporting records in a phenomenal individual display in Beijing. His third gold in the Chinese capital keeps him on his long march to a target of eight wins. That would better Spitz's 1972 tally of seven golds in one Olympics.

Spitz set world record times in all of his victories at the Munich Games, a feat which Phelps could also eclipse. Each of Phelps's Beijing golds has come in a new world best time.

The lanky 23-year-old American was in imperious form in the 200m freestyle final, leading from the start and pulling a body length clear by the halfway stage. He hit the wall in 1:42:96 to destroy his own world record by 0.90 seconds.

"That's great, I just wanted to be out there at the 50 metre point and be there at the 100. After that it was just open water," said Phelps, who was back in the pool winning a 200m butterfly semi-final less than an hour later.

His inspirational swim was the first of three victories for American swimmers in under 20 minutes, hauling the US team up into second place in the overall medals table behind China.

The hosts, second to the Americans in 2004, are keen to end the Games in top spot. Sporting triumph would underline the message of new economic and political might that China wants to convey in its no-expense-spared hosting of the Games.

The Chinese have dominated in the weightlifting, winning four of six events, have done well in diving and picked up golds in shooting and judo. - Reuters