Germany's Paul Biedermann pulled off a second sensational coup at the world championships when he overpowered swimming great Michael Phelps to win the 200 meters freestyle final in record time on Tuesday. He ripped the gold from the twice champion having broken Ian Thorpe's world record to triumph in the 400m on Sunday. Critics will allege a performance-enhancing polyurethane suit was crucial to his wins but the 22-year-old still basked in the glory on a night where four world records fell. “It was a really amazing race. My coach told me before the race: ‘Phelps will beat you on the start and on the turns - the only way to beat him is in the swimming',” a beaming Biedermann told reporters after clocking one minute 42 seconds. Governing body FINA earlier ratified last week's decision to dump polyurethane costumes from next year and return to textile suits and shorts for men. Second-placed Phelps, who won a record eight golds at last year's Olympics, was gracious in defeat after seeing his world record 1:42.96 from Beijing obliterated. “I'm really disappointed. But if you look at it, it's my second best time ever. He's just in better shape than I am,” the 24-year-old said after swimming 1:43.22. The American looked forward to the new rules. “I think it is going to be fun next year. Swimming is back to swimming. Hopefully next summer we will really be able to go head-to-head and I'll be in jammers (long trunks),” he said. Moments after the packed stands had come to terms with Biedermann's triumph, Britain's Gemma Spofforth stunned them again by smashing another world record in the women's 100m backstroke final with a swim of 58.12 seconds. She beat the mark set by Anastasia Zueva on Monday. South Africa's Cameron van der Burgh then destroyed the men's 50m breaststroke world record in his semifinal, streaking through the open-air pool in 26.74 seconds. Italian Federica Pellegrini, who surged to victory and a world record in Sunday's 400m freestyle final, improved her own best ever mark in the 200m semis. Pellegrini won in 1:53.67. After six world records fell on Sunday and five on Monday, it was almost a surprise that only four were broken on the third day of racing. Home favorite Alessia Filippi managed a championship record of 15:44.93 when holding off Dane Lotte Friis to win the 1,500 freestyle final while Japan's Junya Koga grabbed gold in the men's 100 backstroke in another worlds meet record of 52.26. Coach's warning Phelps should stay out of competition until swimming's governing body FINA sorts out the chaos over swimsuits, his coach Bob Bowman said after the races. FINA has agreed to ban performance-enhancing polyurethane suits next year in April or May. “I don't want to put him in this situation again,” he told reporters. “This move to do it in April is unacceptable. It needs to happen Jan. 1 if not next Monday.”
