Michael Phelps's record of invincibility over his long-course 200m 'fly signature event having been broken back in March, Wu Peng (CHN and Club Wolverine) drove another nail home with a 1:56.83 victory over the Olympic and world champion, who finished second at the Charlotte UltraSwim in 1:58.22.

What it all means must wait for the bigger moment, first in Shanghai in July when Phelps defends his world crown and then, more significantly, at London 2012 at the Olympic swansong of the most successful Olympian in history.

Elsewhere, Trojan's Olympic champion Rebecca Soni fell just shy of the 2:23.27 world season best she clocked over 200m breaststroke back in February, her 2:23.33 well up on the next woman home, former Olympic champion, Amanda Beard, Tuscon Ford, on 2:26.24. In the men's equivalent, Eric Shanteau clocked 2:10.95 to take up a place among the best 10 in the world so far this year. 

Olympic champion Natalie Coughlin took the 100m backstroke in 1:00.02 ahead of Missy Franklin, on 1:00.22, and Rachel Bootsma, on 1:00.33, with Elizabeth Pelton fourth in 1:00.40. David Plummer, of Minnetonka,  was best man, on 54.04, 0.11sec ahead of Nick Thoman, third going to Matt Grevers in 54.79. 

Josh Schneider got a 0.01sec edge on Cullen Jones, 22.51 to 22.52 in the 50m free two days after Jones won a world-titles team swim-off between the two by of 22.24 to 22.28. A third David Marsh charge, Nick Brunelli, took third in the slower race, on 22.56. Jessica Hardy won the women's 50m free in 25.13, 0.04sec ahead of Kara Lynn Joyce, with Amanda Weir taking third in 25.31.

Other winners were Chloe Sutton, on 4:08.73 over 400m freestyle; Kathleen Hersey, who edged out Elaine Breeden 2:09.12 to 2:09.32 in the 200m 'fly, third going to Canada's Audrey Lacroix, on 2:09.40; and Trojan's Dominik Meichtry (SUI) on 3:52.00 ahead of Gator's Conor Dwyer, on 3:53.65, in the 400m free.