China is expecting its first gold in swimming on Thursday as two of its swimmers Liu Zige and Jiao Liuyang have forged into the women's 200-meter butterfly final.

Liu and Jiao, who qualified for the final as the first and third fastest, will have to hold off Australia's Jessicah Schipper and Poland's Otylia Jedrzejczak in order to step on the highest podium.

Schipper, known as Australia's "Madam butterfly", is the world record holder and reigning world champion. Jedrzejczak won gold in Athens.

"I hope to see two national flags being raised after the final and I also hope to hear people singing the national anthem," head coach Zhang Yadong said on Wednesday.

So far, China has not tasted the gold in swimming events in Beijing. Zhang Lin contributed one silver in men's 400m freestyle Sunday and Pang Jiaying added a bronze in women's 200m freestyle on Wednesday.

On Thursday, US swim prodigy Michael Phelps will stop his gold haul temporarily as the "super fish" will only have a 200m individual medley semifinal and a 100m butterfly heat.

The men's 100m freestyle will be a heated race between Australia's Eamon Sullivan and Frenchman Alain Bernard. The two have staged world-record-breaking shows in the heats and semifinals. Netherlands' Pieter van den Hoogenband, Sydney and Athens Olympic champion, will also be a strong medal contender.

In the men's 200m breaststroke, Japan's swim king Kosuke Kitajima has determined to defend his Olympic title and it seems that no one could be a real threat. Kitajima, who has shown incredibly good form in Beijing, won the 100m breaststroke Monday.

Also on Thursday, the US women's relay team will have another shot for gold after being beaten by the Netherlands in women's 4X100 freestyle. Australia and Netherlands will also be strong medal contenders.

(Xinhua News Agency August 13, 2008)