Sri Lanka's only remaining competitors at the Beijing Olympics Susanthika Jayasinghe and Nadeeka Lakmali will take the field on Tuesday in their events but there will be little realistic chance of faring better than the rest of the six Sri Lankans.

Boxer Anuruddha Ratnayake, Shuttler Thilini Jayasinghe, Shooter Edirisinghe Senanayake, Weightlifter Chinthana Vidanage, Swimmers Daniel Lee and Mayumi Raheem all were knocked out of the world's biggest sporting spectacle without offering a fight and even without achieving a personal best barring Vidanage.

Thirty three year old sprinter Jayasinghe is out of form and off colour this season, but remains the only distant hope for the country as she is capable of pulling off a shock at the most unexpected moment as she proved in winning an Olympic medal and two world championship medals in the women's 200 metres. Lakmali would take part in the javelin throw and was the only other athlete from Sri Lanka to qualify for the Games.Though the athletes are fast making their exits, officials are still pouring in to Beijing from Sri Lanka.

US super star Michael Phelps continued with his amazing streak when he won his seventh gold medal of these Games yesterday but had the toughest time so far in Beijing.

Phelps, who has already become the greatest Olympian in history by winnng the most number of Gold medals by an individual, equalled the feat of fellow American swimmer Mark Spitz by winning seven gold medals at a single Games, when he won the 100 metres butterfly by a whisker.

The 23-year-old won his event by a fingertip over Serbia's Milorad Cavic in a tense finish. The margin was just 0.01 seconds, which made everyone who saw the race believe that Cavic had won and even made Serbia lodge a protest over the result. It was the only final in which Phelps failed to set a new world record but the judges were convince Phelps was the winner after watching video footage of the race frame by frame.

"I personally looked at the video footage and it was very clear that the Serbian swimmer touched second after Michael Phelps," said Ben Ekumbo, the race referee.

"One hundredth is the smallest of margins of victory in sport. It's pretty cool, that's all I can say." Said Phelps.

"I didn't beat Phelps but perhaps I'm the only guy who had a real shot at him," Cavic said, adding "If we went through this again, I would win it.

Phelps earned a $1 million bonus from his sponsors for equaling Spitz as the highest gold winner at a single Olympics.

Jamaica's 100 metres world record holder Usain Bolt won the 100 metres gold medal easily and still erased his own world mark with a new world record of 9.69 seconds despite slowing down in final 25 metres for a premature celebration. Trinidad and Tobago's Richard Thompson was second while US sprinter Walter Dix claimed the bronze.

The world champion in the 100 and 200 metres Tyson Gay who had been nursing a hamstring injury since injuring himself at the US Olympic trials a month ago failed to make it to the final by an agonizing 0.02 seconds when he clocked only 10.05 in the semi inals.

China were leading the medals table with 27 golds after yesterday's competition while US were second on 16 golds. Germany were third with eight golds while Korea, Australia, Japan and Great Britain were next with seven golds apiece.