KEY POINTS:
20.21: Thanks for joining us in this live updates blog on what was a relatively quiet day. But, for New Zealand, the Games really come to life tomorrow with the start of the track and field and cycling programs. There's also a backlog of sailing and rowing events to get through after today's terrible weather. The men's hockey team face another must win clash against Belgium and of course there's more swimming from the Water Cube. Join us tomorrow afternoon as we keep you up to date with the all the New Zealanders in action on what is sure to be our busiest day of the Games so far.
19.57: The NZ double sculls tandem of Peter Taylor and Storm Uru will have to wait until tomorrow to try and become the sixth NZ crew to qualify for a rowing final. A torrential downpour has washed out this evening's Olympic rowing program. The pair will now race their semi final at midday tomorrow (NZ time). They need to finish in the top three to make the final.
19.34: Huge sums of money are being given to the families of Chinese athletes who win gold. Government officials have not revealed how much their bonuses will be, but Chinese newspapers say gold medal winners are likely to get 250,000 yuan each ($50,000). When Wang Feng won gold in synchronised diving, his home city in east China's Shandong province immediately handed his family a bonus check of 600,000 yuan ($NZ126,685). "After the Games finish, we can now hold his wedding," Wang's teary-eyed grandfather told Chinese-language Changjiang Daily.
19.10: China has extended it's lead at the top of the medal table. The hosts have 20 gold's, twice as many as the US in second place. Australia has five gold's, good for fifth place in the standings. Overall 43 countries have medalled including Tajikistan, Togo and Mongolia. New Zealand ... still the big donut.
18.22: Roger Federer has taken a swipe at Olympic tennis organisers over a schedule which could see him playing 11 games in seven days if he reaches the final. "I find it a little bit ridiculous that we're playing maybe 11 matches in seven days, to be honest," said the Fed-Express after downing Tomas Berdych today. He'll face American James Blake in the quarters.
18.04: German hockey player Katharina Scholz fears news of her being a Playboy covergirl might overshadow her Olympic campaign. Scholz and three other German Olympic sportswomen will appear on the cover of the German edition. "For me it was a good opportunity, and maybe when I look back after a few years I will be proud of it. Not everybody can go on the cover of Playboy."
18.00: A thunderstorm has brought about a suspension in the rowing. Peter Taylor and Storm Uru in the men's double sculls are scheduled to go at 8pm NZT. An assessment on the rowing conditions will be made by organisers at 6.15pm.
In the pool Moss Burmester and Corney Swaenepoel carry NZ's best hopes for further success. The pair contest the 100m butterfly heats just after midnight.
17.23: Japan's 67-year-old equestrian rider Hiroshi Hoketsu says patience will be the key to a good showing in the dressage qualifier tonight. Hoketsu's first Olympics was the Tokyo Games in 1964. He is the oldest competitor at the Beijing Games.
17.02: BREAKING NEWS: Two people who were critically injured in a car crash near the rowing centre yesterday have died.
16.41: Mahe Drysdale has been back on the water in Beijing today and is confident he's beaten the stomach bug which threatened to end his single sculls campaign. Drysdale eventually finished third in his semi final last night and will line-up in the final on Saturday night.
16.33: Light winds have delayed the start of today's sailing program. The best of the Kiwis is windsurfer Tom Ashley in third overall, Barbara Kendall is 6th in the women's windsurfing, Jo Aleh is 7th overall in the laser radial, the men's 470 crew are 10th overall while Laser sailor Andrew Murdoch is 13th overall after a disastrous 40th placing in race three.
16.02: The Games youngest athlete is in action tonight! Twelve-year-old Cameroonian freestyler Antoinette Guedia lines up in the 50m heats tonight.
15.51: Stephanie Rice has done what ex-boyfriend Sullivan couldn't - win gold for Australia in the pool today. Rice's third gold of the Games came in Australia's shock victory over the US in the women's 4x200m freestyle relay. And they did it in world record time.
15.37: Gambling agencies report Phelps has been 'a thorn in their side'. "Although he has been at short odds to win he has being doing the right thing by the punters who are getting back more than they get on bank interest," said Phil Hannah, general manager at Australia-based online betting site SportsBet. Phelps is paying around $1.40 at most international agencies to beat Mark Spitz's record of seven gold's.
15.29: We have a Michael Phelps update. He's just had a light workout in the Water Cube in winning his 200m medley heat. The final is tomorrow.
Meantime, things just get worse for our horse team. Daniel Meech has withdrawn Sorbas from the showjumping. Sorbas has an injured foot. Kirk Webby takes his place on Sitah. The showjumping takes place tomorrow night.
14.52: Bernard's done it! He edges out Sullivan in a bang-bang finish - no world record - but the Frenchman who was sensationally run down in the 4x100m relay earlier in the week has his redemption as the 100m Olympic champion.
14.25: Drama in the pool! Trickett initially missed out! She qualified ninth BUT Jiaying Pang was then disqualified at the end of the second semi for a false start. With Pang out, Trickett became the eighth fastest qualifier and she is in. The action is heating up at the pool .. and it's going to get hotter .. with today's feature race - the men's 100m final - featuring the world's two fastest men, Alain Bernard and Eamon Sullivan due to go at 2.49pm.
14.15: The first gold of the day has been decided. Kosuke Kitajima of Japan has taken the men's 100m breaststroke. He is the world record holder so no surprises there. But Aussie star Libby Trickett has finished fourth in her women's 100m freestyle semi. The world record holder right on the cut line to make the final, with the top eight times from the two semis to go through. She should be okay.
14.00: Hello welcome to today's live updates blog for day six from Beijing. This afternoon we'll be bringing you the swimming sprint finals from the pool along with updates from the Qingdo Olympic Sailing Centre and all the other news from in and around the Games at Beijing. And, if you've got anything to add on yesterday's TV blackout during Moss Burmester's race or you'd like to comment on the 'fakery' of the opening ceremony, log on to our Your Views and we'll look to post your comments in this blog throughout the next six hours. With that let's get into day six in Beijing.
