11-time world champion Katinka Hosszu finally added an Olympic gold to her list of titles, while 18-year-old refugee Yusra Mardini won her heat and the crowd’s hearts.

After returning to competitive swimming at the age of 33, the USA’s Dara Torres won medals in all five of the events she contested at Sydney 2000, including two relay golds.

Few Olympic athletes can match the record of Lenny Krayzelburg in Sydney: three events entered, three gold medals won. In the process he underlined his status as the undisputed star of backstroke.

While putting in top‐notch performances and providing spectacular entertainment, the swimmers at the Nanjing Natatorium were also completing an important stage in their burgeoning sporting careers. After having tasted success at the Youth Olympic Games, participants’ focus will now turn to Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.

Shen Duo (CHN), Liliana Szilagyi (HUN), Rozaliyia Nasretdinova (RUS), Hannah Moore (USA), Ruta Meilutyte (LTU), Jessica Fullalove (GBR) and Brianna Throssell (AUS) were the indisputable stars of six drama-packed days of women’s swimming action in the Nanjing Natatorium.

Men’s 50m butterfly champion Yu Hexin (23.69 seconds) needed an almost superhuman lunge at the wall to overhaul Trinidad and Tobago flyer Dylan Carter (23.81), who led for most of the splash and dash. Netherland’s Mathys Goosen was third in 24.13.

Russia’s swimmers powered their way to another medal bonanza at the Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games, collecting three golds and a bronze on 20 August.

An excitable crowd cheered China to two golds and a bronze at the Nanjing Olympic Sports Centre Natatorium on Tuesday night, and were also treated to a thrilling dead heat in the women’s 200m backstroke.

Athletes from Hungary picked up two golds and two bronzes on a packed evening that featured eight finals at the Nanjing Olympic Sports Centre Natatorium.

The host nation enjoyed its best day so far with golds in the athletics, rowing and cycling. Meanwhile, Serena Williams joined an elite club of Golden Grand Slam winners, and Michael Phelps claimed his 18th Olympic gold.