Montreal, July 29:

This isn’t the record-breaking phenomenon from Barcelona. Or the medal-hoarding icon from Athens. This is Michael Phelps, work in progress. He showed his vulnerable side again when he was left in the wake of the 100m freestyle at the World Swi-mming Championships. Phelps

bounced back to win his third gold medal of the meet in one of his signature events, repeating

as world champion in the 200m individual medley. Still, another trip to the podium wasn’t enough to restore the aura of invincibility. Phelps may be a once-in-a-generation swimmer, but he’s not same guy who broke five world records at the 2003 Barcelona world championships or won a record-tying eight Olympic medals in Athens last summer, including six golds. At this meet, he substituted the 100m and 400m free for two races he won in Athens and likely would have won again in Montreal. While Filippo Magnini of Italy relegated Phelps to also-ran status, Poland’s Otylia Jedrzejczak turned in the top performance of the night, breaking her own world record in the 200m butterfly. Australia’s Jess Schipper led until Jedrzejczak pulled slightly ahead with 25 metres to go. Schipper’s winning time was 2 minutes, 5.61 seconds. She also eclipsed the old record in 2:05.65.

Magnini held off the South African duo of Roland Schoeman and Ryk Neethling, winning in a meet-record time of 48.12. And Phelps? He was last at the turn and managed to pass only one swimmer before touching in 48.99 — failing to even match his time from the semi-finals a day earlier. At least Phelps made it through to the final. In the 400m free, he didn’t even get out of the preliminaries. Phelps can still win six medals in Montreal, which would equal his performance at the 2003 worlds. But that might be viewed as a disappointment after his Olympian feat — a sign of the staggering expectations that accompany Phelps every time he dives in the water. In the 200 IM, Phelps trailed Hungary’s Laszlo Cseh after the butterfly and backstroke legs, but fought back to take a lead during the breaststroke. Phelps won in 1:56.68. nearly a second ahead of Cseh. Another American, Ryan Lochte, took the bronze. The US also won the women’s 800m free relay. The Aussies took silver, with China finishing third.