Hong Kong (CNN) -- When Chinese teenager Ye Shiwen dives into the pool on Monday, all eyes will be firmly on the clock to see if she can repeat her world-beating -- Ryan Lochte-beating -- time in the last 50 meters.
The 16-year-old is due to swim the heat of the 200 meter individual medley after taking gold in the 400 meter event on Saturday.
It wasn't just the win that captured the world's attention, although she did clinch gold after beating American champion Elizabeth Beisel and smashing the world record in 4 minutes 28.43 seconds.
The clock also showed that in the last 50 meters Ye swam faster than U.S. swimmer Lochte who won gold in the men's 400-meter individual medley the same night.
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Ye, who wasn't among the race's favorites, clocked in 28.93 seconds in her final 50 meters of the competition's last 100 meter, freestyle leg, while Lochte went 29.10 seconds in his final 50.
Sports pundits also pointed out the Chinese athlete broke the record previously set by Stephanie Rice in the 2008 Beijing Olympics; the Australian swimmer did it with the aid of a polyurethane suit, which is now banned.
In Monday's 200 meter individual medley heats Shiwen finished 1.61 seconds clear of Kirsty Coventry in second, and 3.33 seconds ahead of 2008 Beijing Olympic champion Rice.
Chatchai Butdee of Thailand sits in his corner during his men's fly boxing bout with Selcuk Eker of Turkey on Monday, July 30, on Day 3 of the London 2012 Olympic Games. Check out Day 2 of competition from Sunday, July 29. The Games run through August 12. See all the action as it unfolds here.
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Lochte, 27, who holds various world swimming records, said on Sunday: "It was pretty impressive. And it was a female. She's fast. If she was there with me, I don't know, she might have beat me."
Not surprisingly, Chinese compatriots, from athletes to ordinary citizens, heaped praise on the swimming sensation.
The hurdler champion Liu Xiang said, "Ye Shiwen, she shocked me!" while one netizen said: "Ye is only 16! Sixteen is the age at which I am doing my homework at home while she wins the gold medal."
Even the swimmer herself was surprised. "I dreamed of winning the gold medal, but I never ever expected to break the record. So I am overwhelmed," Ye said in quotes carried Monday in the state-run China Daily.
Ye's swift time apparently caught commentators in the UK by surprise. BBC Olympic presenter Clare Balding provoked criticism by making remarks some interpreted as a suggestion that Ye had been cheating.
Turning to her co-presenter former British Olympian Mark Foster, Balding asked: "How many questions will be there, Mark, about someone who can suddenly swim much faster than she has ever swum before?"
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Users on China's version of Twitter jumped to Ye's defense. "Don't suspect other people's success while you never saw how hard they fought for it," wrote one netizen on Sina Weibo, while another wrote: "Why doubt her success? She has won the match and that's it, disgusting BBC."
According to a profile in the China Daily last year, Ye was just seven years old when she told her mother she wanted to become a swimmer. She joined the Zhejiang provincial swimming team in 2007 and the national team the year after.
Since the age of 14, Ye has scored a number of victories in national and international competitions. She took the top spots in the 200 meter individual medleys in the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou and the 2011 World Aquatic Championships in Shanghai.
Ye has attributed her success to her training regime. "If the coach asks me to practice 10,000 meters, I would never be a lazy player to swim 9,900 meters instead," Beijing Morning News quoted her as saying.
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U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps' mother, Debbie, cheers as her son competes in the men's 200-meter backstroke final.
A picture taken with an underwater camera of U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps as he competes in the men's 200-meter butterfly semifinal swimming event.
Spectators watch the action on Monday at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon.
British gymnast Kristian Thomas competes at the horizontal bar during the men's team final of the artistic gymnastics event .
Vittoria Panizzon of Italy, riding Borough Pennyz, makes a splash in the water in the eventing cross country equestrian event.
Germany's Britta Heidemann (left) kisses Ukraine's Yana Shemyakina after losing their women's epee gold medal bout as part of the fencing event.
Tamsin Hinchley of Australia dives for a shot during the women's beach volleyball preliminary match between Australia and Austria.
Chatchai Butdee of Thailand celebrates his victory over Selcuk Eker of Turkey during their men's fly boxing match.
British and Argentinian team players line up at the start of the preliminary round men's field hockey match.
Brazilian players celebrate their victory over Montenegro at the end of the women's preliminaries handball match.
Suzana Lazovic of Montenegro shoots and scores during the women's handball preliminaries.
Ashley Jackson of Great Britain lays on the floor after missing a shot during the men's field hockey match between Great Britain and Argentina on Monday.
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Lithuania's Ruta Meilutyte stands emotional on the podium to receive the the gold medal after winning the women's 100-meter breaststroke swimming event.
No. 4 Krista Phillips and No. 8 Kim Smith of Canada celebrate with teammates after defeating Great Britain in the women's basketball preliminary round match.
Britain's Andrew Simpson and Iain Percy round the mark in the star sailing class.
Yujie Sun (left) of China competes against A Lam Shin (right) of Korea during the bronze medal bout in the women's epee individual fencing.
Austria's Dinko Jukic competes in the men's 200-meter butterfly semifinal swimming event.
Yukiko Ebata of Japan celebrates winning a point in the women's volleyball preliminary match between Italy and Japan.
Britain's goalkeeper Rosie Morris, right, attempts to catch a ball hit by Russia during the water polo preliminary match.
Ryosuke Irie of Japan celebrates after winning the bronze medal in the final of the men's 100-meter backstroke.
Michael Phelps of the United States competes in the second semifinal heat of the men's 200-meter butterfly.
Britain's Andrew Simpson and Iain Percy round the mark in the star sailing class.
Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan serves next to her partner Galina Voskoboeva of Kazakhstan during the women's doubles tennis match against Maria Kirilenko and Nadia Petrova of Russia.
Ryan Lochte of the United States competes in the men's 20- meter freestyle final.
Algeria's Zohra Bensalem (right) and Sehryne Hennaoui attempt to set during the women's preliminary volleyball match between Britain and Algeria.
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Gauthier Klauss and Matthieu Peche of France compete in the men's canoe double slalom heats.
Un Guk Kim of North Korea celebrates his world record while competing in the men's 62-kilogram division weightlifting competition.
Jamaica's Samantha Albert, riding Carraig Dubh, competes in the cross country phase of the eventing competition.
Missy Franklin of the United States wipes a tear as she reacts during the medal ceremony for the women's 100-meter backstroke.
Marit Bouwmeester of the Netherlands rounds a mark in the laser radial sailing class
Yujie Sun of China celebrates after defeating A Lam Shin of South Korea to win the bronze medal bout in the women's epee individual fencing competition.
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U.S. gymnast Jonathan Horton competes on the rings during the men's team final of the artistic gymnastics event.
Gold medalists Zhe Feng, Weiyang Guo, Yibing Chen, Chenglong Zhang and Kai Zou of China celebrate on the podium during the medal ceremony in the artistic gymnastics men's team final.
U.S. gymnast Jonathan Horton competes on the rings during the men's team final of the artistic gymnastics event.
Fabian Hambuchen of Germany competes on the horizontal bar in the artistic gymnastics men's team final
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Danell Leyva of the United States reacts in the artistic gymnastics men's team final.
U.S. players line up before their women's water polo preliminary match against Hungary.
U.S. swimmer Matthew Grevers, left, celebrates winning the gold with silver medalist, U.S. swimmer Nick Thoman, at the finish of the men's 100-meter backstroke final.
Atsushi Negishi of Japan, riding Pretty Darling, negotiates an obstacle in the eventing cross country equestrian competition.
American Venus Williams incorporated her team colors into her hairstyle during her women's singles tennis second round match against Sara Errani of Italy.
Yibing Chen of China reacts after completing the pommel horse in the artistic gymnastics men's team final.
Japan's Yoshiaki Oiwa falls off his horse as he competes in the cross country competition on Monday.
Kristian Thomas of Great Britain competes on the horizontal bar in the artistic gymnastics men's team final on Monday.
A female diver practices at the aquatics center on Monday.
Automne Pavia of France celebrates her bronze medal B over Hedvig Karakas of Hungary during the women's judo on Monday.
Atop Twizzel, William Coleman of the U.S. rides past spectators as he competes in the cross country equestrian event on Monday.
Ding Ning of China serves to Jiang Huajun of Hong Kong during a table tennis women's single round match on Monday.
A Brazilian player celebrates winning a point in the women's volleyball preliminary match between the United States and Brazil on Monday.
Croatia's Petar Cupac and Pavle Kostov sail through the fleet in the 49er sailing class on Monday in Weymouth.
Rosie Morris of Great Britain fails to stop a Russian goal during a women's water polo preliminary match on Monday.
Germany's Ralf Buchheim blows in the barrel of his rifle as he competes in the men's skeet qualification on Monday.
Mikhail Kuznetsov and Dmitry Larionov of Russia compete during the men's canoe double slalom heats on Monday.
The beach volleyball center court is reflected in the sunglasses of a spectator on Monday.
Ning Ding of China eyes the ball during her women's singles table tennis fourth-round match against Huajun Jiang of Hong Kong on Monday.
Tom Daley, center, of Great Britain watches from the pool deck during the men's synchronized 10-meter platform diving Monday.
Competitors take off at the start of the race in the 49er sailing class competition in Weymouth on Monday.
Peter Waterfield of Great Britain comes up for air after diving in the men's synchronized 10-meter platform diving on Monday.
Maialen Chourraut of Spain competes in the women's canoe slalom heats on Monday.
Russia's Mansur Isaev, in white, peers out from under Japan's Riki Nakaya during the men's 73-kilogram judo contest Monday.
Yuan Cao and Yanquan Zhang of China soar in the men's synchronized 10-meter platform diving on Monday.
Great Britain supporters cheer as they watch diver Tom Daley on large screens erected in the city center of Plymouth, England on Monday.
Spain's head coach Miguel Oca Gaia, center, talks to his players during their women's water polo match against China on Monday.
Ivan Garcia Navarro and German Sanchez Sanchez of Mexico plummet into the water in the men's synchronized 10-meter platform diving competition Monday.
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Elise Chabbey of Switzerland takes part in the women's kayak single slalom heat on Monday at the Lee Valley White Water Centre in London.
Victoria Azarenka of Belarus serves during the women's singles tennis match against Irina-Camelia Begu of Romania on Monday.
Rehan Butt of Pakistan celebrates his goal against Spain during the men's field hockey match Monday.
German Sanchez Sanchez and Ivan Garcia Navarro of Mexico compete in the men's synchronized 10-meter platform diving event Monday.
Yujun Sun of China looks to make a pass during the women's water polo preliminary match between Spain and China on Monday.
Romania's Corina Caprioriu, in blue, celebrates after defeating Marti Malloy of the United States during the women's 57-kilogram judo contest semi-final match Monday.
Britain's leftback Ewa Palies, center, fights for possession during the women's preliminaries Group A handball match against Russia on Monday.
Seiya Kishikawa of Japan celebrates his victory over Panagiotis Gionis of Greece during the men's singles table tennis match Monday.
Britain's James Charles Huckle takes a shot during the men's 10-meter air rifle men final on Monday.
Yuan Cao and Yanquan Zhang of China compete in the men's synchronized 10-meter platform diving contest Monday.
David Schroeder and Frank Henze of Germany compete in the men's canoe double heats Monday.
Germany's Britta Heidemann, right, takes on China's Li Na during the women's epee bout Monday.
Italy's Rossella Fiamingo, left, faces off against Japan's Nakano Nozomi during the women's epee fencing match Monday.
The South Korea men's field hockey team celebrates after scoring a goal against New Zealand during a preliminary match Monday.
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Lee Yong-Dae of South Korea reaches for a shot during the mixed doubles badminton match against Thomas Laybourn and Kamilla Rytter Juhl of Denmark on Monday.
Italy's Giulia Quintavalle, in white, competes with Australia's Carli Renzi during the women's 57-kilogram judo contest Monday.
South Korea's Kim Yeon-Koung spikes the ball as Serbia's Jovana Brakocevic attempts a block during the women's volleyball match Monday.
Australia's Chris Burton, riding HP Leilani, competes in the cross-country phase of the equestrian eventing competition in Greenwich Park, London, on Monday.
Rowers compete at Eton Dorney Rowing Centre in Eton, west of London, on Monday.
Sarra Besbes of Tunisia, left, tries for a point against Xiaojuan Luo of China during their women's epee fencing round Monday.
Chen Xue of China dives for a shot during a women's beach volleyball preliminary match against Switzerland on Monday, July 30.
Manuel Minginfel of the Federated States of Micronesia competes in the Men's 62-kilogram weightlifting competition Monday.
Chi Yip Cheung, left, of Hong Kong faces off with Nicholas Delpopolo of the United States in the 73-kilogram judo contest Monday.
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Shiwen Ye of China competes in heat 5 of the women's 200-meter individual medley on Monday.
Niluka Karunaratne of Sri Lanka hits a return during his men's singles badminton match on Monday.
China's Zhu Qinan, center, competes in the men's 10-meter air rifle qualifying round at the Royal Artillery Barracks in London on Monday.
Allison Schmitt of the United States competes in the women's 200-meter freestyle heat Monday.
Im Dong-Hyun of South Korea competes during the men's archery individual elimination event on Monday.
Jun Mizutani of Japan returns the ball during the men's singles table tennis third-round match against Elsayed Lashin of Egypt on Monday.
Members of the South Korean women's handball team celebrate after a goal during the preliminary match against Denmark on Monday.
Austin Playfoot lights the cauldron after it was moved into position, ready for the events in Olympic Stadium, on Monday, July 30, in London.
Michael Phelps of the United States competes in heat 5 of the men's 200-meter butterfly on Monday.
Korea's Jan-Di Kim, in white, takes on Mongolia's Sumiya Dorjsuren during the women's 57-kilogram judo contest on Monday.
South Korea's Yung Sung Hoon dribbles past New Zealand defenders during the preliminary round men's field hockey match Monday.
China's No. 1 seed Wang Yihan serves to Michele Li of Canada during the women's singles badminton match against Monday.
Angola's Isabel Fernandes, right, vies with Croatia's rightback Sonja Basic during the women's handball preliminaries match Monday.
Hong Kong's Chi Yip Cheung competes with Nicholas Delpopolo of the United States during the men's 73-kilogram judo contest Monday.
Midori Yajima of Japan competes in the men's 10-meter air rifle qualification on Day 3 of the London 2012 Olympic Games on Monday.
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