Ryan Lochte Beats Michael Phelps in 200-Meter Medley in World Record Time

Ryan Lochte of the U.S. beat his teammate and 14-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps in the 200-meter individual medley final at the world swimming championships in a world-record time.

Defending champion Lochte won in 1 minute, 54.00 seconds in Shanghai, breaking his own previous mark by 0.10 second. It was the first world record set during the championships, ending a long-course drought since high-tech bodysuits were banned 1 1/2 years ago. Forty-three records fell at the 2009 world championships in Rome.

“I don’t think the suits make any difference, it’s all in your head,” Lochte told the British Broadcasting Corp. “People said that record would never be broken and I just wanted to prove them wrong.”

Phelps, a two-time Olympic champion in the event, finished second in 1:54.16, while Hungary’s Laszlo Cseh was third in 1:57.69.

“To be honest, I can’t be upset with that, it’s faster than I did in the Olympics,” Phelps told reporters. “I thought I had it on the last stroke, I felt myself gaining and gaining. There’s lots of frustration going through my head, I think it’s going to help me through the tough months of training over the next year.”

It’s the last major international swimming meet before the 2012 Olympics, which start in a year’s time in London. Phelps has said he’ll retire after those Games.

Freestyle Final

Lochte also beat Phelps two days ago in the final of the 200-meter freestyle. Phelps yesterday won his first gold medal in Shanghai as he retained his 200-meter butterfly title.

“I think he has more comfortable speed now than he had before,” Phelps said of Lochte. “He’s super-focused right now and you can see that. He’s putting the races together that are helping him win.”

Also today, the fifth day of the world championships, James Magnussen of Australia won the 100-meter freestyle final in 47.63 seconds.

China’s Jiao Liuyang won the women’s 200-meter butterfly in 2:05.55 while Anastasia Zueva of Russia took the women’s 50- meter backstroke in 27.79 seconds. The U.S. won the women’s 800- meter relay in 7:46.14, ahead of Australia and China.

To contact the reporter on this story: Danielle Rossingh in London at drossingh@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Christopher Elser at celser@bloomberg.net.