American Michael Phelps did it again, setting his second world record in as many nights. And once again he had company.

He was joined in the world record parade Wednesday at the world aquatic championships in Melbourne by fellow American Leila Vaziri and Laure Manaudou of France.

American Michael Phelps set another world record Wednesday in Australia.
(Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

Phelps set the 200-metre butterfly record of one minute 52.09 seconds, bettering his own mark of 1:53.71 set Feb. 17 in Columbia, Mo.

"I surprised myself, I went so fast," said Phelps. "I wanted to go 52.00 but I didn't expect to swim 52.00.

"I'm showing I'm in solid shape now. I had a really good swim earlier in the season where I broke the world record. I wanted to take it out tonight, so I'm pretty happy."

Wu Peng of China took the silver and Nikolay Skvortsov of Russia was third.

Vaziri posted the world 50-metre backstroke record in a semifinal. Her time of 28.16 seconds broke the previous mark of 28.19 set by Janine Pietsch of Germany in Berlin May 25, 2005.

Record didn't last long

Manaudou, who won the 400 freestyle gold Sunday, set her mark in the 200 freestyle, finishing in 1:55.52, breaking a 24-hour-old record set by Italian Federica Pellegrini of 1:56.47 in Tuesday's semifinals.

Second-place finisher Annika Lurz of Germany also bettered Pellegrini's record, finishing in 1:55.68 Wednesday. Pellegrini took third place in the final in a time of 1:56.97.

Manaudou, talking to French television, said she was inspired by the world-record performances by others Wednesday.

"I told myself I had to have one, too," said Manaudou, who pulled out of the 50-metre backstroke semifinal two races earlier Wednesday to conserve her strength for the 200 freestyle.

Oleg Lisogor of Ukraine won the men's 50 breaststroke, an event that is not in the Olympics. He finished in 27.66 seconds, beating American Brendan Hansen by 0.03 seconds. Cameron Van Der Burgh of South Africa earned the bronze.

In another non-Olympic event, Oussama Mellouli of Tunisia won gold in the men's 800 freestyle with 7:46.95. Grant Hackett of Australia, the defending champion and world record holder in the event, was seventh, nearly nine seconds behind, while Victoria's Ryan Cochrane was eighth.

Hackett, Australia's highest-profile swimmer following the retirement of Ian Thorpe, was also defending his 400-metre freestyle title, but finished third.

With two sub-par performances, he'll be struggling to win the 1,500 metres Sunday, the final night of the meet.

"It was tough for me tonight, and it's going to be even tougher in the 1,500," said Hackett. "The fitness is not quite there."

In control from the start

Just as he did in winning the 200 freestyle, Phelps raced to the lead and stayed there.

Phelps simply crushed his rivals, beating silver medallist Wu of China by 3.04 seconds. Phelps already owned the seven fastest times in history in the event.

The 21-year-old American was under world-record pace the entire race, and extended his lead at every turn.

At 100 metres, he dipped 1.65 seconds under his mark and stretched it to an amazing 1.78 seconds through 150 metres as fans in Rod Laver Arena cheered louder and louder.

Phelps cruised home nearly two body lengths and a world away from Wu, who finished in 1:55.13 for China's first medal of the swim meet.

Phelps hit the wall, turned around and raised both index fingers in the air, signalling his two world records so far.

Phelps is 3-for-3, with victories in the 400 freestyle relay, the 200 free and 200 fly. He set a world record in defeating Pieter van den Hoogenband of the Netherlands by 2½ seconds in the 200 free Tuesday.

After that effort, Phelps came into his latest final exhausted, his arms still tired from the night before.

"I felt horrible. I felt horrible in the warmup pool," he said. "But it looks like things are rolling in the right direction."

Indeed, Phelps remains on track to win more gold.

Still left are the 200 and 400 individual medleys — he holds the world record in both — and two more relays that are strong possibilities for U.S. gold.