The United States broke the oldest world swimming record as they won the women's 4X200 meters freestyle relay at the 28th Olympic Games here on Wednesday.

The US women retained the title they won at the Sydney Olympics with a time of seven minutes 53.42 seconds, breaking the world mark of 7:55.47 set by the former East German team in Strasbourg on August 18, exact 17 years ago.

The day also saw another world record fall in the women's 100m freestyle semifinals.

Australia's Jodie Henry swum 53.52 seconds to smash the previous mark of 53.66 set by compatriot Lisbeth Lenton early this year.

Two-silver winners Pieter van den Hoogenband of the Netherlands and Otylia Jedrzejczak of Poland both finally tasted gold medals.

Hoogenband retained his title of the men's 100m freestyle while Jedrzejczak triumphed in the women's 200m butterfly.

Japan's Kosuke Kitajima, the men's 100m breaststroke gold winner, completed a gold double after winning the 200m breaststroke event in the day's first finals.

But it was the US women's day.

With Natalie Coughlin, Carly Piper, Dana Vollmer and Kaitlin Sandeno in the squad, the Americans, also winners of the event at last year's world championships in Barcelona, led all the way to show their supremacy in the event.

China, third placer in last year's world championships, won the silver in 7:55.97 and Germany took the bronze in 7:57.35.

Now the oldest swimming world record is American female swimmer Janet Evans' 1,500m freestyle mark of 15 minutes 52.10 seconds, which was set on March 26, 1988.

Evans also holds the second and third oldest world marks, in the women's 400m and 800m freestyles, set on September 1988 and August 20, 1989, respectively.

Hoogenband, who won two silver medals in the 200m freestyle and the 4X100m freestyle relay, clocked 48.17 seconds for his first gold medal in the Games.

The Dutchman, double Olympic champion in the 100m and 200 freestyle in Sydney four years ago, was extremely happy with the title.

"I am the champion -- I did again," said Hoogenband. "I really wanted to win the gold, it's huge to win and I am so happy."

He added, "It's the biggest moment of my life. It's sweeter even than the Sydney gold. The pressure was on me so I had a lot to prove.

"It's hard to be a defending champion. I want to thank France for all the training centers as they invited me to use the facilities there."

Australia's Ian Thorpe, who had already won two golds in the 200m and 400m freestyles, took the bronze in 48.56. The silver went to South Africa's Roland Mark Schoeman in 48.23.

Schoeman was a member of South Africa's winning team in the 4X100m freestyle relay.

Thorpe was satisfied with a podium finish.

"It was tough out there in lane eight, but I was really pleasedto get up for a medal."

Thorpe was the first Australia to win a medal in this event.

"I didn't realize that," he said. "I just know all the results here, it's been a sensational meeting for me."

Jedrzejczak, who had won two silvers in the 400m freestyle and 100m butterfly, clocked two minutes 6.05 seconds for the gold.

"It's my first gold in the Olympic Games," she said. "It's not a world record, but I'm still happy."

Australia's Petria Thomas, who had won two titles in the 100m butterfly and 4X100m freestyle, failed to complete a gold triple, finishing second in 2:06.36.

Japan's Yuko Nakanishi, who finished 13th in the 100m butterfly,won the bronze in 2:08.04.

"I just can't believe it," Nakanishi said. "I knew I had to work the last 50 meters, I just gave it my best shot."

Kitajima, who finished a distant 17th at the Sydney Olympics four years ago, clocked two minutes 9.44 seconds for his second gold medal.

This was the second time for the 22-year-old to strike a 100 and 200m breaststroke double, following his success in last year's world championships.

He also broke one of the longest Olympic swimming record of 2:10.16, set by American Mike Barrowman in the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games.

"I am very happy with two Olympic gold medals," Kitajima said.

"This is the happiest day in my life."

Kitajima, a student in Japan's Nippoin University, said he was confident before the competition that he could win.

"In the warming up, I know I was in a superb form. During the race, I could see all the other swimmers are behind me."

Hungary's Daniel Gyurta, only 15, surprised the field by taking the silver in 2:10.80.

Brendan Hansen of the United States, who broke Kitajima's world record in the U.S. trials on July 11, finished third in 2:10.87.

A jubilant Gyurta said that he had not expected to win a medal at the Olympics.

"I am so happy," he said. "I am only 15 and I didn't think I could win a medal here, it is so amazing and I now want to get a gold medal in the next Olympics."

Hansen said, "I am disappointed that I have the world record and not the gold medal. It's unfortunate that the run up to the Olympics took something out of me."

Henry knew that a world record might have come too early for her in the semifinals. She felt surprised with the world mark, so

did defending champion Inge de Bruijn of the Netherlands, who came second behind Henry in 54.06.

"Oh my God, that was nuts," she said. "My parents are here, my cousins are here, aunts and uncles. It is just so good to do it in front of them."

She said she had not expected a world record in the semifinals.

"I wasn't sure, I was just surprised with that time. It's awesome.

"Before a race, I just walk out there and have fun and not take the race too seriously," she said.

She knew that the job is not done yet.

"I have to remember that the job is not done yet," she said. "I am looking forward to an Olympic final. I'll be a bit nervous now.

I'll try and get a good night sleep."

Lenton, who swam in group 1, was knocked out of the finals after finishing ninth overall in 55.17.

"That's the worst feeling knowing Lenton's record was broken and she has not qualified for the finals," Henry said.

Bruijn was also surprised to see a new world record born.

"I was amazed at how fast Henry swam," she said. "I didn't see her coming. Great world record."

But the Dutch woman said she can still retain her Olympic title on Thursday.

"Surely tomorrow I must swim much faster. I think I can do it.

I have something left."

Results of women's 4x200m freestyle final

Following are the results of the women's 4x200m freestyle final at the Athens Olympic Games in Athens on August 18.

1. United States, 7:53.42 (world record -- Natalie Coughlin, Carly Piper, Kaitlin Sandeno, Dana Vollmer

2. China, 7:55.97 (Jiaying Pang, Yanwei Xu, Yu Yang, Yingwen Zhu)

3. Germany, 7:57.35 (Franziska Van Almsick, Hannah Stockbauer, Antje Buschschulte, Petra Dallmann)

4. Australia, 7:57.40

5. Britain, 7:59.11

6. Spain, 8:02.11

7. Brazil, 8:05.29

Olympic men's 100m freestyle final results

Following are the final results of the Olympic swimming men's 100m freestyle on August 18:

1. Pieter van den Hoogenband (Netherlands) 48.17

2. Roland Mark Schoeman (South Africa) 48.23

3. Ian Thorpe (Australia) 48.56

4. Ryk Neethling (South Africa) 48.63

5. Filippo Magnini (Italy) 48.99

6. Duje Draganja (Croatia) 49.23

7. Salim Iles (Algeria) 49.30

7. Andrey Kapralov (Russia) 49.30