Sun Yang of China celebrates during the awarding ceremony of men's 200m freestyle swimming final at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Aug. 8, 2016. Sun Yang won the gold medal with 1 minute 44.65 seconds.（Xinhua/Ding Xu）
By Sportswriter Wang Jimin
RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- China continued their gold rush on the third matchday at the Rio Olympics as star swimmer Sun Yang and divers Lin Yue/Chen Aisen won two gold medals on Monday.
Sun clinched his third Olympic gold medal by winning the men's 200m freestyle in 1 minute 44.65 seconds, 0.55sec ahead of South Africa's Chad le Clos with the USA's Conor Dwyer 0.58sec further back.
It was China's first swimming gold medal of the Rio Games and Sun was the first Chinese swimmer to win the Olympic men's 200 metres freestyle gold medal.
"In the past I always got silvers in the event, and finally I broke the jinx," said the 24-year-old Sun, who's silver medalist in 2013 and 2015 world championships as well as in the London Games four years ago.
In celebrating his triumph, Sun took off his swimming cap and attempted to throw it to Chinese supporters in the crowd above him, but it landed in the pool and he had to retrieve it.
"It's not easy as the opponents pushed me hard from the beginning, but the pressure did not crush me. I'm very happy that I made breakthrough for my team and my country," added Sun.
Hungary's Katinka Hosszu grabbed her second gold medal of the Rio Olympics by winning the women's 100m backstroke. On Sunday Hosszu won the gold medal and broke the world record in the 400m individual medley.
China's Fu Yuanhui won a bronze in the event.
The US swimmers became the biggest winners at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium as Lilly King smashed the Olympic record to win the women's 100m breaststroke gold medal while Ryan Murphy also set a new Olympic record to win gold in the men's 100m backstroke.
Lin and Chen secured China's second diving gold medal by winning the men's synchronized 10m platform.
Lin and Chen posted an overall score of 496.98 points to finish ahead of US pair David Boudia/Steele Johnson (457.11) and Britain's Thomas Daley/Daniel Goodfellow (444.45).
It was Lin's second Olympic gold medal in the event after his victory at the Beijing 2008 Games alongside Huo Liang.
The result at Rio's Maria Lenk Aquatics Centre means China has won both of the diving gold medals decided so far at the Rio Games.
On Sunday, Wu Minxia and Shi Tingmao took out the women's synchronized 3m springboard title.
In weightlifting, Oscar Albeiro Figueroa Mosquera of Colombia won the men's 62kg gold medal and became the first male Olympic champion in his country.
Mosquera's gold medal was Colombia's third in Olympic history.
Mosquera, silver medalist at the London Olympics, snatched 142kg and jerked up 176kg for a winning total of 318kg for the top honor.
"This is the best thing I could have ever expected, for my country and for my family. I am just very happy," said the 33-year-old Mosquera.
Gold medal favorite Chen Lijun from China was forced to quit the competition due to calf cramps.
Chen, the world record holder for the total and jerk, suddenly felt uncomfortable just 10 minutes before he began his first snatch attempt at 143kg.
"Both of my legs were as stiff as stone. I even couldn't start the snatch," said the 23-year-old Chen.
"I was not nervous at all, and I don't think losing weight before the competition caused the cramp. I was confident about winning the gold," he added.
In the women's 58kg event, Sukanya Srisurat of Thailand lifted a total of 240kg to win the second gold medal for her country.
Elsewhere, reigning world champions Japan rallied to take the men's team gold medal in gymnastics while Italy reaped both men's 10m air rifle and men's trap in Rio Olympic Shooting Center.
Australia grabbed the first ever women's rugby gold medal in Olympic history after they muscled down New Zealand 24-17 in the rugby sevens final.
In women's volleyball, China bounced back from an unexpected loss to the Netherlands in the first game to beat Italy in straight sets 25-21, 25-21, 25-16.
China now had 1-1 win-loss record in the Pool B and they will face Puerto Rico in the next game, who suffered their second loss on Monday against Serbia with straight sets.
"It won't be an easy game for us," said China's head coach Lang Ping, "We have so many young players and they played a lot up and downs in our first two games."
Now the United States top the medals table with five gold, seven silver and seven bronze medals while China are second on five gold, three silver and five bronze medals.
