(CNN) -- Out-of-shape swimming superstar Michael Phelps again struggled as an unprecedented 16 records were set at the World Cup short-course event in Berlin this weekend.



Six new marks were set on Saturday and another 10 on Sunday, but the American could only manage a second in the 200 meters individual medley and a fifth in the 200m butterfly while failing to reach the final of the 200m freestyle.



The 14-time Olympic champion chose to wear an old-style suit as he did with a similar lack of success in the previous leg in Stockholm during the week, and took a back seat to those wearing high-tech outfits -- which will be outlawed from January 1.



"I prefer not to lose, but I knew coming in that it would be very, very hard to win anything," the bearded Phelps told reporters.



"I raced as hard as I could, I've gotten some racing under my belt, and that's what we set out to do. Maybe it's better for me that I lost today. It gives me better motivation for the future.



"I am pleased with the week as much as I can be, with how much training I've done -- which is little, and it shows."



He performed better on Sunday as he finished runner-up in the medley behind South Africa's Darian Townsend, who set a world-record time of one minute 51.55 seconds -- beating Phelps by 1.85 seconds.



On Saturday, his much-anticipated showdown with world 200m freestyle champion Paul Biedermann never eventuated as he finished 12th in the heats, while the supersuit-clad German set a new record in the final and also smashed Grant Hackett's seven-year-old milestone in the 400m freestyle.



Among the women's records to be broken, Australia's Liesel Jones followed up her two gold medals from the Beijing Olympics by setting a new mark on each day.



The 24-year-old won the 200m breaststroke on Sunday in a time of 2:15.42, shaving more than a second off the previous record, while the day before she topped her own leading time in the 100m breaststroke.
What happens to high-tech suits? What will become illegalf rom January 1? Who struggled using an old style suit? Who struggles? Where is the course held? How many records fell at the World Cup short-course event? How many records were broken? Where was the World Cup short-course event held?
outlawed from January 1. wearing high-tech outfits Michael Phelps Michael Phelps Berlin 16 16 Berlin
question: What happens to high-tech suits?, answer: outlawed from January 1. | question: What will become illegalf rom January 1?, answer: wearing high-tech outfits | question: Who struggled using an old style suit?, answer: Michael Phelps | question: Who struggles?, answer: Michael Phelps | question: Where is the course held?, answer: Berlin | question: How many records fell at the World Cup short-course event?, answer: 16 | question: How many records were broken?, answer: 16 | question: Where was the World Cup short-course event held?, answer: Berlin