IRVINE, Calif. - Michael Phelps dominated the 200-meter butterfly at the U.S. Summer Nationals Thursday night, even though it wasn't the way he wanted to win.

Phelps was under his own world-record pace at the halfway point, but faded over the final 150 meters and finished in 1 minute, 55.26 seconds - second-fastest in the world this year.

He tore off his cap, tossed it in the water and pounded the wall with his right fist, not needing to turn around and check the scoreboard.

He had badly missed his two-year-old world mark of 1:53.93.

Even more, Phelps wanted to notch the world's fastest time this year: a 1:55.02 by Pawel Korzeniowski of Poland at the recent world championships.

"I don't like to be second in anything," Phelps said. "I was trying, I just wasn't going anywhere."

Phelps skipped the 200 butterfly at last week's world championships, along with the 400 individual medley, to try two new races.

But the meet proved humbling for the six-time Olympic champion. He won five golds, but three of them came on relays, and he failed to set a world record.

Still, he was the biggest draw on the second night of the meet. He strolled on deck, blocking out the cheers with his headphones, and smiled at familiar faces while he made his way to the starting blocks.

Facing no serious competition, Phelps was 13-hundredths of a second under his world record at 100 meters, but he fell more than a half-second off at 150 meters.

"The best thing I can use it for is training purposes," he said. "This is going to be used for big motivation next year."

He finished more than a body length ahead of the field.

"With everything that's been going on, it's probably a decent swim for right now," said Phelps, who has put in little butterfly training.

Stefan Hirniak was nearly three seconds behind, taking second in 1:58.15. Michael Raab was third.

Phelps won his 26th national title, tying him with Jenny Thompson for eighth on the career list. He could move up a couple more spots by the time the meet ends Sunday.

Elaine Breeden of Lexington, Ky., won the women's 200 fly in 2:09.85.

Foreigners dominated the men's 100 freestyle, with Roland Schoeman of South Africa and Canada's Brent Hayden finishing 1-2.

Schoeman's winning time of 48.38 broke the 17-year-old Summer Nationals record of 48.42 set by Matt Biondi. Hayden touched in 49.35.

Garrett Weber-Gale of Milwaukee was third in 49.40. The eight-man field included two-time Olympians Neil Walker (fourth) and Nate Dusing (seventh).

Schoeman won two individual gold medals at the world championships in the 50 free and 50 fly. He finished second in the 100 free in Montreal.

Rebecca Soni of Plainsboro, N.J., defeated a strong field in the 200 breaststroke. She finished first in a personal best of 2:26.26, more than 3 seconds ahead of 2000 Olympian Staciana Winfield.

"I've been seeded first in prelims for a long time, so it was time for me to finally win one," said Soni, who will swim at Southern California this fall.

Megan Jendrick, the 2000 Olympic champion in the 100 breaststroke, was third. Tara Kirk, bronze medalist at the world championships, was fourth.

Jendrick is making a comeback after failing to qualify for last summer's Olympics. She will compete in this month's World University Games in Turkey.

"I had a bad groin pull and up until two days ago I hadn't swam any breaststroke," she said. "I hurt really bad after the morning swim, but I felt fine tonight."

Amanda Weir of Lawrenceville, Ga., won her first national title in the 100 free. She touched in 54.47, a body length ahead of the field. Weir earned silver and bronze medals swimming on relays at the world championships in Canada.

Katie Hoff, who swept the individual medleys in Montreal, tried the sprint race just for fun and finished fourth.

There was a decided lack of star power in some races. World record holder Aaron Peirsol of Irvine skipped the meet, leaving the 200 backstroke wide open.

Chris DeJong of Ann Arbor, Mich., won his first national title in the event, finishing in 1:58.25. The women's 200 back winner was Leah Retrum of Columbus, Ind., in 2:11.00.

Brendan Hansen, a double-winner in the breaststroke events last week in Montreal, also decided to rest.

Taking advantage of Hansen's absence, Texan Matthew Lowe won the 200 breaststroke in 2:14.40.