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ROME : Germany's Paul Biedermann handed Michael Phelps his first major international defeat since 2005 on Tuesday, winning the 200m freestyle world title in a world record of 1min 42.00sec.
Biedermann broke the world record of 1:42.96 set by Phelps in winning Olympic gold at the Beijing Olympics last August 12. Phelps was second in 1:43.22.
Phelps, who claimed an unprecedented eight Olympic gold medals in Beijing to take his career total to 14, hadn't been beaten in individual world or Olympic competition since losing to Ian Crocker in the 100m fly at the 2005 Worlds in Montreal.
He was 10-for-10 since then, winning five individual events at the 2007 World Championships in Melbourne and five in Beijing.
Biedermann's performance followed his 400m freestyle triumph, in which he erased the iconic world record set by Australian Ian Thorpe in 2002.
The German acknowledged after that race that he believed his high-tech bodysuit made a difference of some two seconds for him in the 400m free.
- AFP /ls
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