BERLIN - Darian Townsend of South Africa broke the 200m individual medley short-course world record yesterday, while countryman Cameron van der Burgh broke his 100m breaststroke world record.

BERLIN - Darian Townsend of South Africa broke the 200m individual medley short-course world record yesterday, while countryman Cameron van der Burgh broke his 100m breaststroke world record.

Townsend clocked 1min:51,55sec to beat Michael Phelps at a World Cup meet yesterday and break the mark of 1:51,56 set by Ryan Lochte of the United States in Manchester, England, on April 11 2008.

Van der Burgh clocked 55.61 seconds to break the mark of 55,99 he swam in Pietermaritzburg on August 9.

Phelps also failed to qualify for the final of the 200m freestyle yesterday 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 Phelps flopped to a disappointing 12th fastest over the two heats in a time of 1:44,07 and failed to qualify.

Biedermann then swam a new world best time of 1:39,37 in the 200m freestyle final. - Sapa-AP and AFP