Swimming: Phelps flops again

Phelps: Day to forget

Michael Phelps failed to reach the final of the 100 metres butterfly on a day when four world records fell at the FINA World Cup in Stockholm.

Despite recording a short-course personal best of 51.06 seconds in the event, the American superstar did not make the final - his third failure to progress at the meet.

And, on a day to forget for the 14-time Olympic gold medallist, Phelps was later pipped to second place in the men's 200m individual medley by South Africa's Darian Townsend, who set a World Cup best of 1min 51.79secs.

World records fell in the men's 50m backstroke, women's 200m butterfly, women's 100m IM and women's 50m butterfly.

The United States' Peter Marshall clocked 22.73 in the men's backstroke, China's Liu Zige recorded a time of 2:02.50 in the women's 200m butterfly, while her compatriot Zhao Jing touched the wall in 58.40 in the women's 100m IM.

And Sweden's Therese Alshammar completed the drama in front of her home fans by clocking 24.46 in the women's 50m butterfly.

Great Britain's Fran Halsall was third behind Zhao in the 100m IM, coming in the same session as her victory in the women's 100m freestyle as she set a World Cup best of 51.61.

Halsall, from Liverpool, and Lizzie Simmonds - second in the women's 100m backstroke in 56.92 - were Britain's only medallists on the final day of the event.

There was disappointment for Ross Davenport who finished sixth in the men's 200m freestyle, Michael Rock, who finished fourth in the men's 100m butterfly, and Joe Roebuck, who came fourth in the men's 200m IM.