Xing Huina of China won the Olympic women's 10,000 metres gold medal here to give the world's most populous nation their second athletics of the games in less than an hour.
The 20-year-old timed a personal best of 30 minutes 24.36 seconds yesterday to become only the fourth ever Chinese female athlete to take gold.
Xing's victory came after Liu Xiang had equalled the world record of 12.91sec to take the 110m hurdles gold.
"This is unbelievable," beamed Xing, who showed her potential when she broke the world junior record in the 10,000m world championship final last year.
"When I crossed the line I said 'Can this be true?'.
"Normally I am a 5,000m runner but after that race I thought I had nothing to lose."
Ejegayehu Dibaba of Ethiopia took silver in 30:24.98 while compatriot and two-time Olympic champion Derartu Tulu took bronze in a time of 30:26.42.
Another Ethiopian Werknesh Kidane took the bell in the lead but Dibaba passed her down the back stretch and led into the final straight with Xing on her shoulder while Tulu was toiling in third.
Down the straight Xing eased past Dibaba and crossed the line four metres to the good of the Ethiopian, who like her younger sister Tirunesh in the 5,000m had to settle for a minor medal.
{{/usCountry}}Down the straight Xing eased past Dibaba and crossed the line four metres to the good of the Ethiopian, who like her younger sister Tirunesh in the 5,000m had to settle for a minor medal.
{{/usCountry}}All this had taken place without Britain's Paula Radcliffe as her bid to redeem herself after the marathon came to a similar early end.