Phelps' indifferent run continues

Phelps admitted he had not been training regularly

Michael Phelps' mixed form continued at the short-course World Cup as he came second in the 200m medley final.

The multiple Olympic champion's time was one minute, 53.93 seconds, over two seconds behind winner Darian Townsend.

Earlier, Phelps failed to reach a final for the third time in two days as he missed out in the 100m butterfly.

Meanwhile Liverpool's Fran Halsall took gold for Britain in the women's 100m freestyle in a European and World Cup best time of 51.61 seconds in Sweden.

Halsall was also third in the 100m individual medley behind Zhao Jing, who set a new world record time of 2:02.50.

The only other British medallist of the day was Lizzie Simmonds, who finished second in the women's 100m backstroke in a new British record time of 56.92 seconds.

Ross Davenport finished sixth in the men's 200m freestyle while Michael Rock and Joe Roebuck came fourth in the 100m butterfly and 200m individual medley respectively, Rock in a new British record time of 50.13.

American Phelps missed out on the butterfly final after coming 11th in the qualifying heats.

That is in addition to failing to reach the finals of the 100m freestyle and 100m backstroke on Tuesday.

Phelps has been competing in an old-fashioned swimming suit, which will become standard next year.

His coach Bob Bowman says he wants him to continue wearing it in the run-up to next year's American championships.

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But while Phelps struggled, five world records were broken by other swimmers.

Apart from Zhao, American Peter Marshall clocked 22.73 in the men's 50m backstroke and home favourite Therese Alshammar won the women's 50m butterfly in 24.46 seconds.

China's Liu Zige set a new record time of 2:02.50 in the 200m butterfly, while Jessica Hardy broke her own world record in the 50m breaststroke.

Phelps next competes in the weekend's World Cup meeting in Berlin as he builds up to next month's Europe against America 'Duel in the Pool' in Manchester on 18 and 19 December.