Phelps turns to coach Bowman for help

Swimmer looks towards coach Bowman after mediocre show in Stockholm

Phelps turns to coach Bowman for help

Swimmer looks towards coach Bowman after mediocre show in Stockholm

US superstar Michael Phelps, shunning the high-tech swimsuit, said he knew landing shortcourse World Cup titles in Stockholm would likely prove beyond him as a result but still came within an ace of pocketing the 200 metres individual medley on Wednesday.

Returning to competition for the first time since the world championships in Rome in July, eight-time Olympic champion Phelps is up against it here after choosing to revert to conventional kit in anticipation of the FINA ban on high-tech swimsuits which will take effect at the start of next year.

Most swimmers in Stockholm are still wearing the performance-enhancing gear, but a few, Phelps included, have gone back to basic trunks in anticipation of the switch.

"I knew yesterday and today that this wasn't gonna be the best meet, but every now and then we need a wake up call," said Phelps.

"With me not being consistant in training, this sure is a wake-up call. I don't wanna swim just OK, I want to swim better than OK."

After missing out on the 100m butterfly final, Phelps came through the 200m medley heats stylishly but admitted that "there's still a lot of work to be done.

"Most important is consistency. I don't have it. I don't have it right now. So I'm gonna work on it. It's fine. (Coach) Bob (Bowman) can do that for me."

Backed by Swedish fans who acclaimed him as if one of their own, Phelps did push Townsend hard as he went from third after the butterfly section to second following the two backstroke lengths and after a hard-fought breaststroke section the South African just clinched it with a push in the final freestyle length.

On Tuesday, Phelps made only one final out of the three races he contested, taking third place in the 100m individual medley.

In reaching the final of the 200m individual medley Phelps posted the second fastest time of 1 minute 56.09 seconds, behind only the 1:55.09 of Sweden's Simon Sjodin, who was wearing a high-tech bodysuit.

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