[Kaitlin Sandeno] had to tell her three times, [Misty Hyman] said later, before it started to sink in: She had scored the biggest upset of the Olympic swimming competition, beating Australia's Susie O'Neill to win the gold medal in the women's 200-meter butterfly last night at the International Aquatic Centre.

Hyman, 21, a Stanford student from Mesa, Ariz., set the tone on a night the U.S. team silenced the fervent crowd at the swimming venue, also winning the gold to Australia's silver in the women's 800-meter relay. Jenny Thompson swam the U.S. relay's anchor leg to win the seventh Olympic gold medal of her career.

O'Neill challenged her on the third of the race's four 50-meter legs, but Hyman pulled back ahead and won going away, finishing in 2 minutes, 5.88 seconds, just off O'Neill's world mark of 2:05.81.