LONDON, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- "No one can challenge my dominance in the 1,500m freestyle," said China's Olympic champion Sun Yang after setting a new world record to win the men's longest event at London Olympics on Saturday.
"The 1,500m freestyle is my strongest event. I predicted the gold and made it," said the 21-year-old.
Sun, world record holder of the event, asserted supremacy in the final as he led all the way to touch in 14:31.02, edging silver medalist with an unbelievable eight seconds.
He wiped more than three seconds off the previous world record he set at the 2011 Shanghai World Championships.
"I can hear clearly the broadcasting of my results while I was in water. It was in the last lap that I'm pretty sure I can break the world record," Sun said after the race.
"I think the time (14:31.02) was not to my limits. I still have potential to lower the world record," he said.
Canadian swimmer Ryan Cochrane, bronze medalist of Beijing Games, trailed Sun in the race but was dropped by nearly half lap to pocket a silver medal in 14:39.63.
Tusian defending Olympic champion Oussama Mellouli, the first male African swimmer to win an individual Olympic gold from Beijing Games, settled for the bronze with nine seconds behind Sun.
It is the second gold medal Sun has taken from London Games, making himself the first male swimmer to clinch an Olympic gold medal. Sun also took a silver and a bronze, adding to his tally of four brilliant Olympic medals.