Ryan Lochte defeated Olympic champion Michael Phelps in the men’s 200 metre freestyle final at the World Championships in Shanghai.

American Lochte’s title winning performance has put him amongst the favourites for medals at the 2012 London Olympics.

The 26 year old finished 0.35 seconds ahead of compatriot Phelps who took second place, while Germany’s Paul Biedermann finished third.

The victory makes a change from Lochte being beaten by his rival. Phelps has won 16 Olympic medals in his career and is widely considered to be one of the greatest swimmers in recent history.

Lochte said: “Michael and I have been battling head-to-head for eight years now. It’s been a good rivalry.”

The British challenger Liam Tancock, who is also the defending 50m champion, finished sixth.

Tancock, 26, said: “For me it was pretty much about getting to the final.

“On the world stage, sixth place is not bad. I’ve got a couple of days to recover for the 50m and I am looking forward to that one.”