Having led all the way in the medals tally since the Unviersiade kicked off on August 22, the hosts have collected 45 golds and 87 medals.

The United States came second with 16 golds and 39 medals and Japan third with 11 golds and 44 medals.

A large chunk of China's gold medal haul was from the diving sport whose all 12 golds at stake were swept by China's Diving Dream Team.

World champions Tian Liang and Hu Jia completed the gold spree as they walked away with the men's synchronized platform title.

Earlier in the same day, Li Rongjuan and Yang Lan were crowned in the women's synchronzied 3m springboard crown, amassing a total of 296.70 points from the five rounds of dives in the final.

The outstanding performances of the female divers also ensured China the women's diving team title with 2,519.94 points, a shocking 419.31 points ahead of the second Ukraine.

China is also close to sweeping all the titles on offer in the table tennis, the most popular sport in the most populated country on earth.

Chinese duo Zhang Yining/Niu Jianfeng won the sixth table tennis gold medal for China after they beat South Korean pair Ryu Ji-Hye/Kim Moo-Kyo 15-21, 21-17, 21-13 at the women's doubles final.

Chinese star Wang Liqin, seeded first in the event, eased to a triumph over his compatriot Zhang Yong 21-19, 21-18 and 21-11, setting up a final with Chuan Chih-Yuan of Chinese Taipei, who beat world champion Liu Guozheng of China in five sets 21-14, 15-21, 21-18, 20-22, 21-19.

While the United States proved to be the biggest winner in the pool as the swimming competition lowered its curtains at the Ying Tung Natatorium on Wednesday.

The US beat Ukrainian and French teams to take the Men's 4*100 Medley Relay title for the country's 11th swimming gold, clocking a time of 3:39.49 and bettering the record by 2.46 seconds.

Earlier W.C. Kirkland contributed one gold with a winning time of 1:50.03 in the men's 200m freestyle final.

"It's my great honor to win the gold for my country," said Kirkland. "I'm aiming for the 2004 Olympics."

Japanese, another swimming powerhouse, walked away with their third gold medal in tonight's swimming events and raised the team's swimming gold tally to seven.

Yuko Sakaguchi, bronze medallist of the women's 100m breaststroke, claimed the gold of the women's 200m breaststroke with 2:29.64.

Ukraine won the same number of swimming golds as Japan after Igor Chervynskiy won his personal second gold with a time of 15:14.43 in the men’s 1500m freestyle.

In other sports, East Asian champions Japan extended their winning streak at the Universiade to five following a 1-0 victory over South Korea in the men's soccer semi-finals.

In the women's soccer, the Netherlands and Brazil each scored a 2-0 victory Wednesday to set up a final clash between them.

The Dutch women, who upset title favorites China 5-4 through shootout in Monday's quarter-finals, beat South Korea 2-0 and Brazil, 3-1 surprising winners over the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on Monday, eliminated France through two second-half goals.

On the same day, France reached the final of the men's volleyball by brushing aside Denmark in straight sets 25-15, 25-21, 25-20 in 71 minutes.

Reigning champions China defeated Thailand 3-1 to extend their winning streak to five, waltzing into the finals of the women's volleyball.

The Chinese women spikers, who was crowned in the last games in Palma de Mallorca, scored a 25-19, 20-25, 25-13, 25-19 victory over the Thais.

The other finalist Russia, who was toppled by China in the finals in Palma two years ago, met no problem in beating the Brazilians 25-14, 25-17, 25-21 in Wedneday's semifinal.

In fencing, China outplayed Russia 42-34 in the women's team epee final while France beat Italy for the title of men's team epee fencing.

In athletics, Chinese Gao Shuying set a new Asian record of 4.52 meters in the women's pole vault final after winning the gold with an easy clearance over 4.45 meters, a new meet record.

Wang Liping, gold medallist of walk in the 2000 Olympiad, clocked 44.01, equalling the old Universiade record.

Susana Feitor from Portugal, bronze medllist of women's 10km walk of the 21st World Summer University Games, won the first medal for her country in this Universiade.

The men's 20km walk title went to Italian Lorenzo Civallero with a time of 1 hour 24 minutes and 42 seconds.

Jane Jamieson of Australia collected a total of 6,041 points to win the women's heptathlon gold medal and Russian's Aiexei Krovtsov beat his rival Aliaksei Liasnchy of Belarus to win the men's high jump.

Aleksander Tammert of Estonia managed a throw of 65.19 meters to win the men's discus gold medal and the first track and field top laural for Estonia.

A.N.Famiglietti of the United States beat Poland's Jakub Czaja on the home straight in a dramastic victory to win the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase final.

Andrew Pierce of the United States took the men's 400m final and P.A.Esteso of Spain pulled away on the home curve to win the men's 1,500 meters gold medal with a time of three minutes, 43.98 seconds. His compatriot Miguel Pate claimed the men's long jump gold medal with a winning jump of 8.07 meters.

Cuba's world champion and world record holder Osleidys Menendez won the women's javelin gold medal with a new meet record of 69.82 meters

Sureyya Ayhan won the first gold for Turkey at the 21st Universiade by finishing first in the women's 1,500m race.

In tennis, Unseeded Mexican pair Lozano Carlos and Arredondo Juan took the gold for the men's doubles of the Universiade tennis here Wednesday afternoon, beating the Czech pair Pavel Kudrnac, Tomas Macharacek, the seventh seed, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.

Li Na and Li Ting, China's top female tennis pair and the top seed of the Universiade, clinched the women's tennis doubles title, beating South Korea's Kim Eun-Ha and Kim Mi-Ok, the second seed, 6-4, 6-4 in the final.

This is the first gold in this event reaped by China in multi- sport games in eight years since Yi Jingqian, China's best-ever female tennis player, and Chen Li won the women's doubles at the Universiade in 1993.

(Xinhua News Agency 08/30/2001)