Maarten van der Weijden fell ill sevenyears ago but a stem cell transplant and chemotherapy saved his life.
He battled back to become the world's leading open-water swimmer and timed his surge to perfection to win a sprint finish after a three-man fight for gold in the Games' inaugural 10km men's race, after a contest lasting nearly two hours.
"That makes it extra special," van der Weijden said when asked about his recovery from cancer. "It proves that even after such an illness you can win gold."
Relentless rain descended on Day 13 of the Olympics, but failed to deter walkers, decathletes and bikini-clad women playing out the medals games in beach volleyball.
The rain did not dampen the buzz around Jamaica's Usain "Lightning" Bolt, celebrating his 22nd birthday on Thursday after winning a second sprint gold and setting another world record the night before, in the 200 meters.
The head of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) questioned the Jamaican's sportsmanship, taking exception to his exuberant celebration of his 100 meter win on Saturday when he pounded his chest even before crossing the finish line.
"I think he should show more respect, shake hands, give a tap on the shoulder to the other ones. Not making gestures like the one he made," said Jacques Rogge. "He still has to mature."
Jamaican coach and former sprinter Don Quarrie defended Bolt, saying his celebrations were just youthful high spirits, from a man who is "playful, funny, happy."
Former athletes searched for superlatives to describe Bolt.
"It was the most amazing athletic performance I have ever seen in my life," said former U.S. track champion Michael Johnson, who lost his 12-year world record to Bolt.
The finals of women's beach volleyball went ahead in the rain. An excited home crowd sheltered under umbrellas as China's Tian Jia and Wang Jie lost to the defending champions, U.S. pair Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh in straight sets.
May-Treanor and Walsh, who have dominated the sport for five years, left the door open to a return in London 2012, but said that might depend on plans to have children.
JAMAICA, U.S. SHOWDOWN
The limelight returns to the Bird's Nest in the evening, and another intriguing showdown between Jamaica's extraordinarily successful sprinters and the United States.
Jamaican women followed Bolt by sweeping the 100m medals and a trio of strong sprinters are looking to add 200m glory at 7:30 p.m. (1130 GMT). The Americans, the traditional superpower of sprinting, are desperate for at least one gold.
Cuban world record-holder Dayron Robles says he is confident of winning Thursday's 110m hurdles final, which was shaping into one of the high points of the Games but is now deflated by the absence of Chinese favorite Liu Xiang.
A foot injury forced the Olympic champion to limp from the track before his first race, leaving Chinese fans in tears.
"I'm very calm. I'll win the gold medal," said Robles.
The Chinese can at least console themselves with a look at the gold medal table, where they have built up a seemingly unassailable lead of 45 golds to the Americans' 27.
In Athens the U.S. team topped the medals table with 36 golds to China's 32, but the hosts have invested heavily in selecting and training their athletes over many years, an effort that mirrors the nation's growing global economic and political clout.
"The world has to learn to live with a change of geopolitical nature," the IOC's Rogge said, adding that China's sporting success would last "as long as their sports system lasts."
On a packed day of athletics, Americans Jeremy Wariner and LaShawn Merrit go head-to-head in the 400m on Thursday too.
Later, the women's soccer tournament wraps up with the U.S. team facing Brazil and hoping to repeat their victory against the South Americans in Athens four years ago.
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