Going by the way the day started, Chinese spectators had hardly expected it to finish with the flourish that it finally did Saturday.

Enormous home-crowd pressure took its toll on Chinese athletes on the opening day of the Games competition.

Du Li, defending women's 10-m air rifle champion, wilted under pressure in her bid to win the Games' first gold, while Tan Xue, world women's saber champion, lost in the quarterfinals in a huge let-down for fencing enthusiasts.

Pang Wei of China celebrates winning the gold in the men's air pistol shooting competition at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games August 9, 2008. [Agencies]

But Olympic debutant Pang Wei seized the gold medal in the men's 10-m air pistol, restoring the host's pride hours after Du failed.

Widely tipped to win the Beijing Olympic's first gold medal, Du finished only fifth. Katerina Emmons of the Czech Republic opened the Games gold rush topping the women's 10-m air rifle event.

Pang, the 2006 world champion and a pre-Olympic favorite, won with a score of 688.2.

"I had no idea about the results of this morning's events," Pang said, referring to the Du anticlimax that led to her tear-filled exit at the shooting range hall.

"We were not told about the performance of our teammates in order to ward off pressure," the 22-year-old said. "I do hope my winning the gold can bring luck to the Chinese team and the Chinese shooting team wins more medals."

Pressure, however, could not affect the Chinese women weightlifters who showed their grit when Chen Xiexia took the gold in the 48-kg category, wildly cheered on by shouts of "Go China".

Chen snatched 95 kg and clear-and-jerked 117-kg for a winning total of 212-kg, a new Olympic record. It's also the first time the country has bagged an Olympic gold in this category.

Spain scored its first success in the men's cycling road race. Samuel Sanchez won the 245-km race from the Forbidden City to the Great Wall, a course described as one of the toughest ever.

South Korea's Choi Minho won the gold in the men's 60-kg judo and Romania's Alina Dumitru took the other judo gold medal Saturday, in the women's 48-kg category.

Chen Xiexia of China competes in the women's 48kg Group A snatch weightlifting competition at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games August 9, 2008. [Agencies]

Mariel Zagunis led a medal sweep for the US in the women's saber fencing when she opened the gold tally for her country.

Zagunis, the 2004 saber champion, took the gold with a 15-8 victory over compatriot Sada Jacobson, who took the silver. Becca Ward, also from the US, took the bronze.

Swimming sensation Michael Phelps safely cleared the first hurdle in his quest to win eight gold medals when he broke his Olympic record to qualify as the fastest for the 400m individual medley final Saturday.

More reports on the first day of Beijing Games