SANTA CLARA (California), June 20: Australian Nick D’Arcy handed Michael Phelps another 200m butterfly defeat on Sunday, edging the world record-holder and Olympic champion at the Santa Clara Grand Prix.

Phelps, owner of 14 Olympic gold medals, was nearly a body length ahead coming off the final turn, but D’Arcy reeled him in to win in 1min 55.39sec to the 1:55.40 of the American great.

D’Arcy, 23, became just the second man since 2002 to beat Phelps in the event.

Phelps had stretched his 200m fly winning streak to almost a decade when he fell to China’s Wu Peng in consecutive races in the event this year –– at the Michigan Grand Prix in April and the Charlotte UltraSwim Grand Prix in May.

Phelps, who recently completed demanding high altitude training in Colorado, said that despite his defeat he hoped he was on track for the World Championships in Shanghai next month.

D’Arcy, second to Phelps at the Pan Pacific Championships last year, was delighted with the victory.

At the halfway stage of the race, D’Arcy admitted he did not think he would overtake Phelps.

Emily Seebohm grabbed another gold for Australia, winning the women’s 100m backstroke in 59.77 despite the after-effects of a bout of food poisoning that saw her withdraw from racing on Saturday.

American teen Missy Franklin was second in 59.98 and Australia’s Meagen Nay third in 1:00.96.

American world record-holder Ariana Kukors won the women’s 200m individual medley in a blistering 2:09.53, with Australian Stephanie Rice second in 2:11.39.

Kukors’ time saw her move ahead of Australia’s Alica Coutts (2:09.68) as the fastest in the world this year.

Results:

Men’s: 200m butterfly: 1. Nick D’Arcy (AUS) 1:55.39, 2. Michael Phelps 1:55.40, 3. Robert Robert Bollier 1:57.92. 100m breaststroke: 1. Eric Shanteau 1:01.54, 2. Brendan Hansen 1:01.66, 3. Michael Alexandrov 1:02.05. 100m backstroke: 1. Daniel Bell (NZL) 54.70, 2. Ryan Lochte 55.22, 3. Eugene Godsoe 55.63. 200m individual medley: 1. Thiago Pereira (BRA) 1:57.63, 2. Ryan Lochte 1:58.99, 3. Conor Dwyer 2:01.08.

Women’s: 200m butterfly: 1. Kathleen Hersey 2:06.89, 2. Stephanie Rice (AUS) 2:07.54, 3. Elaine Breeden 2:08.14. 100m breaststroke: 1. Jessica Hardy 1:07.45, 2. Ashley Wanland 1:09.25, 3. Amanda Beard 1:09.46. 100m backstroke: 1. Emily Seebohm (AUS) 59.77, 2. Missy Franklin 59.98, 3. Meagen Nay (AUS) 1:00.96. 200m individual medley: 1. Ariana Kukors 2:09.53, 2. Stephanie Rice (AUS) 2:11.39, 3. Caitlin Leverenz 2:13.24.—AFP