China's Shi Feng jubilates after men's 100m butterfly final at the "Good Luck Beijing" 2008 Swimming China Open in Beijing, China, Feb. 1, 2008. Shi Feng won the title with 53.43 seconds. (Xinhua Photo)
BEIJING, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Shi Feng became the first gold medallist in the first test run of the National Aquatics Center here on Friday.
The 20-year-old overcame teammate Wang Dong in the Swimming China Open, clocking 53.43 seconds in the landmark Olympic venue, called Water Cube for its blue membrane that looks like bubble-wrap.
Shi, first in Thursday's heat, said he had not expected to win the first gold, but added he was "delighted and excited to be here."
The bubble-wrapped facility is the venue for swimming, diving and synchronized swimming at Beijing Olympic Games in August this year.
Germany's Paul Biedermann celebrates after men's 200m freestyle final at the "Good Luck Beijing" 2008 Swimming China Open in Beijing, China, Feb. 1, 2008. (Xinhua Photo)
Chinese swimmers claimed the second gold in women's 4X200m freestyle relay, clocking 8 minutes and 9.50 seconds, 8.25 seconds ahead of Germany. But the Germans took home three golds as the biggest winner for the day.
Germany's Paul Biedermann coasted into the top in the men's 200m freestyle with a winning time of 1:48.51, defeating narrowly Poland's Pawel Korzeniowski and Chinese freestyler Zhang Lin, who was the first to touch the wall in the preliminary.
Zhang said after the race that he had difficulties adjusting to the competition schedule.
Biedermann, who also swam the anchor leg in the men's 4X100 meters medley relay, helped his team claim the title. Another German freestyler and world record holder Britta Steffen won the women's 100m freestyle, clocking 54.73 seconds.
China's Shi Feng competes during men's 100m butterfly final at the "Good Luck Beijing" 2008 Swimming China Open in Beijing, China, Feb. 1, 2008. (Xinhua Photo)
The Olympic favorite said winning a medal in the Olympics was one of her dreams and added that swimmers from Australia and the United States posed the biggest challenge for her.
However, Poland's Otylia Jedrzejczak, a crowned swimmer in the 2004 Athens Olympic Games in the women's 200m butterfly, lost to less known Natsumi Hoshi from Japan.
Otylia said she had not been particularly trained for the competition.
The Swimming China Open, which opened on Thursday, served as a venue test ahead of the Olympics.
The event attracted more than 230 swimmers from 30 countries and regions, among whom few are world-class swimmers. Swimming powerhouses like the United States and Australia only sent observers to Beijing.
China's Shi Feng competes during men's 100m butterfly final at the "Good Luck Beijing" 2008 Swimming China Open in Beijing, China, Feb. 1, 2008. (Xinhua Photo)
