Phelps beaten in return after broken wrist

ATLANTA (Georgia): Michael Phelps lost in his first race since suffering a broken right wrist last month, taking second behind American record-setter Ryan Lochte in the 200-yard individual medley Thursday at the US Short Course Natrionals.   

Phelps, whose quest for a record eight gold medals figures to be the major story of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, suffered the injury when he slipped getting into a car last month at the University of Michigan, where he attends classes.   

Lochte won the 200 IM in 1:40.08, breaking his old US mark in the event from March of 2006 by .47 of a second with Phelps the runner-up in 1:41.32.   

Lochte, who out-touched Jason Lezak to with the 50-yard freestyle in 19.31 as well, jumped to the IM lead and was ahead of the US record pace after the backstroke, pulling a body-length ahead of Phelps and staying ahead to the end.   

Phelps, who won seven world titles and set four world records at the FINA World Championships earlier this year, must qualify at the Olympic trials June 29-July 6 at Omaha, Nebraska, to have a chance at breaking Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals at a single Olympics in China.   

Also setting a US record in Thursday's first day of the meet was Natalie Coughlin, who won the 50-yard freestyle in 21.46, lowering the old US mark of 21.63 set by Kara Lynn Joyce in 2006.