No pool duel for Phelps, Biedermann sets record

I did not think I would go so fast, perhaps it was good not to train for a few days - said Biedermann.

Michael Phelps failed to qualify for the final of the 200m freestyle at the shortcourse World Cup meet here on Sunday and missed his chance for revenge against new world-record holder Paul Biedermann.

Phelps, 24, suffered the first defeat in four years to Biedermann, 23, in the 200m freestyle final at Rome's World Championships last July and the pair were set to clash here again over the same distance.

But while Biedermann was the fastest into Sunday's 200m freestyle final with 1min 42.73secs, Phelps flopped to a disappointing 12th-fastest over the two heats in a time of 1 mins 44.07secs and failed to qualify.

Having set a new world record in the 400m freestyle of 3 mins 32.77secs the day before, Biedermann then swam a new world best time of 1 min 39.37secs in Sunday's 200m freestyle final.

The German tore a thigh muscle training in Spain a fortnight ago and having been given the all-clear to race only on Friday, has finished the weekend with two world records.

- I did not think I would go so fast, perhaps it was good not to train for a few days - said Biedermann.

The Germans success here has been in sharp contrast to Phelps who could also only finish fifth in Saturday's 200m butterfly final.

But there was some joy for the winner of eight gold medals at the Beijing Olympics when he was the fastest into Sunday's 200m individual medley final.

Phelps clocked 1min 55.92secs to reach the final and insists on wearing swimming trunks ahead of the decision by the sport's governing body FINA to ban the high-tech swimsuits from January 1, 2010.