In a supercharged and bittersweet session of swimming, Australia claimed the full set - one gold medal, two silver and one bronze - at the Water Cube on Day 6 of competition at the Beijing Olympic Games.
Stephanie Rice collected her third gold of the games as a member of the Women's 4x200m Freestyle Relay team which romped to a new world record in the final event on the morning program.
Earlier, the silvers went to Eamon Sullivan and Brenton Rickard, and the bronze to Jessicah Schipper.
The Australians were within 0.03s of the French after Rice's opening relay leg, but Bronte Barratt and Kylie Palmer managed to build a huge lead over the field by the time Linda Mackenzie hit the water to apply the coup de grace.
It was celebration time for Rice, Barratt and Palmer on the pool deck as they knew the gold was theirs a long way from home.
The Australians' time of seven minutes 44.31 seconds smashed the former record held by the United States by almost six seconds.
"Oh my god. It's so exciting. What a great night to finish on - a world record and first place," said Rice after her last race of the meet in which she also collected gold in the 200m and 400m individual medleys.
Added Barratt: "I think I almost had a heart attack when Macca (Mackenzie) was swimming that last 50 and then almost again when I was so excited we won. I just can't believe it, it's so awesome."
The host nation was second in the final in 7:45.93 and the US third in 7:46.33.
In the Men's 100m Freestyle final, world record holder Sullivan was touched out by French sprinter Alain Bernard by 0.11s.
Bernard, who in his swimsuit resembles the proverbial condom stuffed with walnuts, won the much-hyped match race in 47.21 seconds, overhauling Sullivan (47.32) in the closing metres after the Australian led at the turn.
American Jason Lezak and Brazil's Cesar Cielo Fihlo tied for third in 47.67.
Matt Targett was seventh in the sprint final in 48.20.
Sullivan, who was aiming to become the first Australian winner of the Olympic Men's 100m Freestyle since Michael Wenden at the 1968 Mexico Games, said the race was always going to come down to the final touch.
"Unfortunately it didn't go my way but the better man won on the day," the 22-year-old said.
Sullivan has had to overcome a number of injury setbacks, including three hip operations and ankle surgery.
"If you would have asked me a year ago if I'd be in this position I wouldn't have believed it," he said.
"I am more than happy with a silver medal - would have liked the gold - but I did my best and it wasn’t good enough."
The session opened with a sensational silver medal for Rickard in the Men's 200m Breaststroke final and there was a bronze for Schipper in the Women's 200m Butterfly final.
Rickard swam the race of his life to push the unbackable race favourite, the defending Olympic champion and world record holder Kosuke Kitajima of Japan, all the way in the first event on the program.
Kitajima touched the wall in a new Olympic record time of two minutes 07.64, with Rickard next in 2:08.88.
The 24-year-old said there was no disgrace in finishing second to Kitajima.
"That's part of the Olympics," Rickard said. "You take on swimmers