http://www.goldmedalmel.typepad.com/mel/2010/08/ryan-lochte-goes-six-for-six-during-the-short-four-day-program-at-the-pan-pacific-championships-a-gold-medal-haul-like-micha.html
Click on the link above for an interesting blog entry by Gold Medal Mel. One thing about the Pan Pacs that cannot be overlooked is the entire meet was only four days long. Ryan won six gold medals in only four days. How many more could he have won if the meet was longer?
In the 2008, the Olympic trials took place from June 29 - July 5 (7 days), the Olympics lasted August 9 - 17 (9 days) and 2009 Worlds lasted Granted, these meets had prelims, semi-finals and finals; nevertheless, the time was a lot longer than four days. This makes Ryan's accomplishment at Pan Pacs - six gold medals in four days and four individual golds - even more striking.
It's going to be hard for Ryan to expand his events in 2012 if the schedule remains the same as 2008. In Beijing, the 200 free and 100 back were swum on the same days and tripled up with the 400 IM, 4 x 100 free relay and the 4 x 200 free relay. The 200 back and 200 IM were doubles. As indicated in the Sports Illustrated article posted below, Ryan may be better off training for the 200 fly than the 100 back.
Note in the comments Mel states that Ryan is working with his lawyers and reps on 3 major projects. Can't wait to hear more about this.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Article on Ryan Lochte from this week's Sports Illustrated
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1173622/1/index.htm
By Kelli Anderson
Excerpts below. Link to full article above.
Ryan Lochte pulled off his goggles, shook his auburn locks from his swim cap and stared hard at the scoreboard across the pool. After a quick calculation he slapped the water in disappointment. In winning the 200-meter individual medley in 1:54.43 for his sixth victory at the Pan Pacific Championships in Irvine, Calif., last week, Lochte fell .33 of a second short of becoming the first swimmer to set a world record in the post--buoyancy suit era. "I knew I was going to go fast, but I didn't know I was going to go that fast, that close to the record," said Lochte, who wore the knee-to-hip textile jammer that has been de rigueur attire for male swimmers since new suit rules took effect last Jan. 1. "Once I figured that out, I was like, Man, if I had just taken one or two more dolphin kicks, I would have had it."
Lochte may not have snapped the world record (his own) in Irvine, but as a consolation he did upset swimming's world order. As Lochte hauled in six gold medals—which might have been eight had he not bowed out of the 100 backstroke final and the medley relay to remain sharp for other events—Michael Phelps, the man who established swimming's gold standard with eight wins in Beijing, continued to show the effects of a prolonged post-Olympics layoff. Phelps won the 100 and 200 butterflies and had three strong relay legs, including a world-best 48.13 leading off the 400 free relay, but he failed to make the final in the 400 IM and pulled out of the 200 IM, citing a lack of fitness. While Phelps was trying to catch his breath, Lochte eclipsed him as the sport's alpha fish.
"Ryan has proved that today—present tense—he is without a doubt the best swimmer in the world," says NBC analyst and three-time Olympic gold medalist Rowdy Gaines. "I say that with some trepidation because we all know what kind of shape Michael's in. I think if Michael wants to, he will take over that role, easily. He may not want to. Everyone says this will fuel his fire; now he's going to get motivated. But what do you do after 14 gold medals?"
That's not a concern for the 26-year-old Lochte, who has just one individual gold, in the 200 backstroke in Beijing, in his pile of six Olympic medals. Unlike Phelps, Lochte didn't take a huge chunk of time off after the 2008 Games, choosing instead to take a lot of three-day breaks from training. That was in addition to the unplanned four weeks off he had last fall after undergoing surgery for a meniscus tear in his left knee, sustained while break dancing in his apartment in Gainesville, Fla. "Ryan lives on the edge a little bit, but to race the way he races, you have to be on the edge a little bit," says his coach, Gregg Troy, who has shepherded Lochte through a number of other nonswimming injuries, including the twisted left ankle he sustained chasing his dog a month before the '08 Olympic trials. "In some ways this injury was a plus. All the other injuries were kind of minor. This one, he had to see a surgeon, and it took a long time to come back. It clarified how important swimming was for him, and I think that made him a little more responsible, a little more mature as an athlete."
The knee surgery had other benefits: Lochte rebuilt his breaststroke to put greater emphasis on his upper body, which has in turn helped his freestyle. And he replaced a lot of his breaststroke training with butterfly work, a plus for his IMs. Lochte also changed his diet, trading fast-food burgers and sodas for salads and lean meats. "As you get older, you realize whatever goes into your body is going to affect you later on," he says.
Lochte may have become more professional in his approach to swimming, but he remains a friendly free spirit whose unfiltered personality makes him a favorite among teammates, coaches, fans and sponsors. "Everyone loves Ryan," says fellow American star Natalie Coughlin. "He has a funky style and his own swagger, but he has a clear sense of who he is. He's very true to himself. And he's funny, just being Ryan. He's always saying, 'Jeah!' which isn't even English."
*****
Of course, swimming is all about pushing limits, which is why Lochte's dominating performances bring up a tantalizing thought: Might he, like Phelps two years ago, go for eight—or even more—gold medals in London in 2012? When asked last week about his plans for the next Games, Lochte seemed taken aback. "That's like two years away!" he protested. "I'm not even thinking about that. I'm just trying to get through this meet and go on vacation. But I love swimming and I love racing, so I'm going to try to swim as many events as my body can physically handle."
If the results from Irvine are any indication, we haven't seen that limit yet.
By Kelli Anderson
Excerpts below. Link to full article above.
Ryan Lochte pulled off his goggles, shook his auburn locks from his swim cap and stared hard at the scoreboard across the pool. After a quick calculation he slapped the water in disappointment. In winning the 200-meter individual medley in 1:54.43 for his sixth victory at the Pan Pacific Championships in Irvine, Calif., last week, Lochte fell .33 of a second short of becoming the first swimmer to set a world record in the post--buoyancy suit era. "I knew I was going to go fast, but I didn't know I was going to go that fast, that close to the record," said Lochte, who wore the knee-to-hip textile jammer that has been de rigueur attire for male swimmers since new suit rules took effect last Jan. 1. "Once I figured that out, I was like, Man, if I had just taken one or two more dolphin kicks, I would have had it."
Lochte may not have snapped the world record (his own) in Irvine, but as a consolation he did upset swimming's world order. As Lochte hauled in six gold medals—which might have been eight had he not bowed out of the 100 backstroke final and the medley relay to remain sharp for other events—Michael Phelps, the man who established swimming's gold standard with eight wins in Beijing, continued to show the effects of a prolonged post-Olympics layoff. Phelps won the 100 and 200 butterflies and had three strong relay legs, including a world-best 48.13 leading off the 400 free relay, but he failed to make the final in the 400 IM and pulled out of the 200 IM, citing a lack of fitness. While Phelps was trying to catch his breath, Lochte eclipsed him as the sport's alpha fish.
"Ryan has proved that today—present tense—he is without a doubt the best swimmer in the world," says NBC analyst and three-time Olympic gold medalist Rowdy Gaines. "I say that with some trepidation because we all know what kind of shape Michael's in. I think if Michael wants to, he will take over that role, easily. He may not want to. Everyone says this will fuel his fire; now he's going to get motivated. But what do you do after 14 gold medals?"
That's not a concern for the 26-year-old Lochte, who has just one individual gold, in the 200 backstroke in Beijing, in his pile of six Olympic medals. Unlike Phelps, Lochte didn't take a huge chunk of time off after the 2008 Games, choosing instead to take a lot of three-day breaks from training. That was in addition to the unplanned four weeks off he had last fall after undergoing surgery for a meniscus tear in his left knee, sustained while break dancing in his apartment in Gainesville, Fla. "Ryan lives on the edge a little bit, but to race the way he races, you have to be on the edge a little bit," says his coach, Gregg Troy, who has shepherded Lochte through a number of other nonswimming injuries, including the twisted left ankle he sustained chasing his dog a month before the '08 Olympic trials. "In some ways this injury was a plus. All the other injuries were kind of minor. This one, he had to see a surgeon, and it took a long time to come back. It clarified how important swimming was for him, and I think that made him a little more responsible, a little more mature as an athlete."
The knee surgery had other benefits: Lochte rebuilt his breaststroke to put greater emphasis on his upper body, which has in turn helped his freestyle. And he replaced a lot of his breaststroke training with butterfly work, a plus for his IMs. Lochte also changed his diet, trading fast-food burgers and sodas for salads and lean meats. "As you get older, you realize whatever goes into your body is going to affect you later on," he says.
Lochte may have become more professional in his approach to swimming, but he remains a friendly free spirit whose unfiltered personality makes him a favorite among teammates, coaches, fans and sponsors. "Everyone loves Ryan," says fellow American star Natalie Coughlin. "He has a funky style and his own swagger, but he has a clear sense of who he is. He's very true to himself. And he's funny, just being Ryan. He's always saying, 'Jeah!' which isn't even English."
*****
Of course, swimming is all about pushing limits, which is why Lochte's dominating performances bring up a tantalizing thought: Might he, like Phelps two years ago, go for eight—or even more—gold medals in London in 2012? When asked last week about his plans for the next Games, Lochte seemed taken aback. "That's like two years away!" he protested. "I'm not even thinking about that. I'm just trying to get through this meet and go on vacation. But I love swimming and I love racing, so I'm going to try to swim as many events as my body can physically handle."
If the results from Irvine are any indication, we haven't seen that limit yet.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Update coming
I will write an update soon for Days 3-4 of the Pan Pacs meet. I attended the finals on both Friday & Saturday night and enjoyed the experience very much.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Pan Pacs - Day 2 Finals
2010 Pan Pacs Day 2: Live Finals Results, Recaps, and Analysis, As the Races Happen
I love the swimmerscircle blog. Please click on the link above for their wrap up of everything that happened today, including Ryan's two events the 400 IM and the 4 x 200 free relay. Ryan won gold in the 400 IM with a world-best time of 4:07.59. For the first 150m, Ryan was ahead of world-record pace. He slowed down quite a bit at the end when he knew he was going to win, probably because he knew he had to swim the relay shortly thereafter.
The 4 x 200 relay was swum by Michael Phelps, Peter Vanderkaay, Ricky Berens with Ryan taking the anchor leg. The time was 7:03.84. The silver and bronze were won by Japan and Australia respectively and they were more than 6 seconds behind. Ryan's split was 1:45.27, which is amazing given he just swam the 400 IM.
Tomorrow I will be going to Irvine to see the races in person! I'm really excited.
I love the swimmerscircle blog. Please click on the link above for their wrap up of everything that happened today, including Ryan's two events the 400 IM and the 4 x 200 free relay. Ryan won gold in the 400 IM with a world-best time of 4:07.59. For the first 150m, Ryan was ahead of world-record pace. He slowed down quite a bit at the end when he knew he was going to win, probably because he knew he had to swim the relay shortly thereafter.
The 4 x 200 relay was swum by Michael Phelps, Peter Vanderkaay, Ricky Berens with Ryan taking the anchor leg. The time was 7:03.84. The silver and bronze were won by Japan and Australia respectively and they were more than 6 seconds behind. Ryan's split was 1:45.27, which is amazing given he just swam the 400 IM.
Tomorrow I will be going to Irvine to see the races in person! I'm really excited.
Pan Pacs - Day 2 Prelims - Ryan Qualified First in 400 IM
2010 Pan Pacs Day 2 Update: Phelps Fails to A-Final in 400 IM
Read about the prelims at theswimmerscircle.com. Ryan qualified first with a time of 4:08.77. Tyler Clary came in second with a time of 4:09.20. Ryan and Tyler swam in the same heat. Michael Phelps finished first in his heat but had the fourth fastest time overall with a 4:15.38. Because only the top two Americans qualify for the A final, MP will be relegated to the B final tonight.
The two fastest times from finals will make the 2011 Worlds team.
A recap of all of today's prelims can be found here: http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/24874.asp
Notably, Ryan skipped the 100 free today. I'm not surprised as I think he swam the 100 free at Nationals to qualify for the relay. It would have been difficult to do well in the 400 IM if he swam the 100 free first. Ryan also has the 4 x 200 free relay tonight.
Edit: Michael Phelps is not going to swim the B final of the 400 IM. http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/2010-08-19-pan-pacific-championships_N.htm?csp=34sports&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+UsatodaycomSports-TopStories+%28Sports+-+Top+Stories%29
The 4 x 200 free relay will be exciting tonight. It will be interesting to see how close the US team can get to their world record.
Read about the prelims at theswimmerscircle.com. Ryan qualified first with a time of 4:08.77. Tyler Clary came in second with a time of 4:09.20. Ryan and Tyler swam in the same heat. Michael Phelps finished first in his heat but had the fourth fastest time overall with a 4:15.38. Because only the top two Americans qualify for the A final, MP will be relegated to the B final tonight.
The two fastest times from finals will make the 2011 Worlds team.
A recap of all of today's prelims can be found here: http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/24874.asp
Notably, Ryan skipped the 100 free today. I'm not surprised as I think he swam the 100 free at Nationals to qualify for the relay. It would have been difficult to do well in the 400 IM if he swam the 100 free first. Ryan also has the 4 x 200 free relay tonight.
Edit: Michael Phelps is not going to swim the B final of the 400 IM. http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/2010-08-19-pan-pacific-championships_N.htm?csp=34sports&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+UsatodaycomSports-TopStories+%28Sports+-+Top+Stories%29
The 4 x 200 free relay will be exciting tonight. It will be interesting to see how close the US team can get to their world record.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Pan Pacs - Day 1 finals
Ryan qualified for A finals in both the 200 free and 100 back. Ryan had the fastest time in the 200 free - 1:46.10. Peter Vanderkaay finished second with a time of 1:46.66. Ryan was the second fastest qualifyer in the 100 back with a time of 53.69. David Plummer finished first at 53.33.
According to Swimmingworld Magazine, Ryan scratched the 100 back final. Aaron Peirsol, who was the third fastest U.S. swimmer, moved up to the A final to take Ryan's place.
http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/24853.asp?q=Pan%20Pacific%20Championships:%20Day%20One%20Prelims%20-%20Coverage%20Sponsored%20by%20TYR
It must have been a difficult decision to scratch. If my reading of the selection rules is correct, the US swimmers with the fastest two times in Pan Pacs and Nationals make the team for 2011 Worlds. Ryan's time in the prelims of the 100 back at Pan Pacs was not faster than Aaron Peirsol's time at Nationals. Ryan may have made a case for swimming backstroke on the 4 x 100 medley relay at 2011 Worlds if he had a top 2 time. Now it appears that will not happen. I could be wrong about this given that Ryan swam only the prelims and not the finals. It could be that his time today would not count anyway.
In any event, Ryan had a great start to the meet. Tonight's finals can be seen live on http://www.swimnetwork.com/!
edited: Apparently it was not a difficult decision to scratch the 100 back. The article linked below quotes Gregg Troy as saying there was never an intention for Ryan to swim the finals in the 100 back and he swam it for training purposes only. I still think it has to do with the medley relay, and maybe for Ryan to see if he can add that event in the future simply to qualify for the relay. Just pure uneducated speculation on my part!
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE67H5G320100818
According to Swimmingworld Magazine, Ryan scratched the 100 back final. Aaron Peirsol, who was the third fastest U.S. swimmer, moved up to the A final to take Ryan's place.
http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/24853.asp?q=Pan%20Pacific%20Championships:%20Day%20One%20Prelims%20-%20Coverage%20Sponsored%20by%20TYR
It must have been a difficult decision to scratch. If my reading of the selection rules is correct, the US swimmers with the fastest two times in Pan Pacs and Nationals make the team for 2011 Worlds. Ryan's time in the prelims of the 100 back at Pan Pacs was not faster than Aaron Peirsol's time at Nationals. Ryan may have made a case for swimming backstroke on the 4 x 100 medley relay at 2011 Worlds if he had a top 2 time. Now it appears that will not happen. I could be wrong about this given that Ryan swam only the prelims and not the finals. It could be that his time today would not count anyway.
In any event, Ryan had a great start to the meet. Tonight's finals can be seen live on http://www.swimnetwork.com/!
edited: Apparently it was not a difficult decision to scratch the 100 back. The article linked below quotes Gregg Troy as saying there was never an intention for Ryan to swim the finals in the 100 back and he swam it for training purposes only. I still think it has to do with the medley relay, and maybe for Ryan to see if he can add that event in the future simply to qualify for the relay. Just pure uneducated speculation on my part!
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE67H5G320100818
Pan Pacs - Day 1 - 200 free and 100 back
Pan Pacs start today with prelims at 10 a.m. PDT and finals at 6 p.m. PDT.
Ryan is entered in the 200 free and 100 back on Day One. I hope he will swim both events but if he drops one, it is likely to be the 100 back.
The psych sheet can be found here: http://www.usaswimming.org/_Rainbow/Documents/3c51ed9e-bf4e-44e1-90ab-55485a86be76/pp%20-%20psych%20sheet.pdf
Live results can be found at Omega Live Timing: http://www.omegatiming.com/livetiming/index.htm
Watch prelims live on www.swimnetwork.com
Event 4 - 200m free
For prelims, Ryan will be in heat 3 of 4 in lane 5. The heat sheet is published here: http://www.omegatiming.com/swimming/racearchives/2010/IrvinePPchampionships/C51A1_SLHeats_4_Heats_Men_200_Free.pdf
Peter Vanderkaay, Ricky Berens and Tae Hwan Park will be in heat 4. I think Ryan's biggest challenge in the prelims will be to swim fast enough to qualify for finals. He doesn't have anyone who will really race him in his heat. Ryan has a good shot at winning this event, particularly because Michael Phelps decided to skip it.
Event 6 - 100m back
Ryan will be in heat 4 of 4 in lane 7 for prelims of the 100 back. http://www.omegatiming.com/swimming/racearchives/2010/IrvinePPchampionships/C51A1_SLHeats_6_Heats_Men_100_Back.pdf
Also in Ryan's heat will be Aaron Peirsol, Ashley Delaney and David Plummer. Nick Thoman and Hayden Stoeckel are in heat 3. Ryosuke Irie and Junya Koga are in heat 2. Ryan will have to swim very fast to make the final in this event.
This is a good opportunity for Ryan to qualify for 2011 worlds in the 100 back. The 100 back times at Nationals were kind of slow. The top 2 US swimmers at Pan Pacs are likely to be the ones who will be going to Shanghai in this event.
Ryan is entered in the 200 free and 100 back on Day One. I hope he will swim both events but if he drops one, it is likely to be the 100 back.
The psych sheet can be found here: http://www.usaswimming.org/_Rainbow/Documents/3c51ed9e-bf4e-44e1-90ab-55485a86be76/pp%20-%20psych%20sheet.pdf
Live results can be found at Omega Live Timing: http://www.omegatiming.com/livetiming/index.htm
Watch prelims live on www.swimnetwork.com
Event 4 - 200m free
For prelims, Ryan will be in heat 3 of 4 in lane 5. The heat sheet is published here: http://www.omegatiming.com/swimming/racearchives/2010/IrvinePPchampionships/C51A1_SLHeats_4_Heats_Men_200_Free.pdf
Peter Vanderkaay, Ricky Berens and Tae Hwan Park will be in heat 4. I think Ryan's biggest challenge in the prelims will be to swim fast enough to qualify for finals. He doesn't have anyone who will really race him in his heat. Ryan has a good shot at winning this event, particularly because Michael Phelps decided to skip it.
Event 6 - 100m back
Ryan will be in heat 4 of 4 in lane 7 for prelims of the 100 back. http://www.omegatiming.com/swimming/racearchives/2010/IrvinePPchampionships/C51A1_SLHeats_6_Heats_Men_100_Back.pdf
Also in Ryan's heat will be Aaron Peirsol, Ashley Delaney and David Plummer. Nick Thoman and Hayden Stoeckel are in heat 3. Ryosuke Irie and Junya Koga are in heat 2. Ryan will have to swim very fast to make the final in this event.
This is a good opportunity for Ryan to qualify for 2011 worlds in the 100 back. The 100 back times at Nationals were kind of slow. The top 2 US swimmers at Pan Pacs are likely to be the ones who will be going to Shanghai in this event.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Pan Pacs Psych Sheet - Ryan's events
The psych sheet for Pan Pacs is out, although it is labeled "draft." I guess that means it could change. It can be found here: http://www.usaswimming.org/_Rainbow/Documents/3c51ed9e-bf4e-44e1-90ab-55485a86be76/pp%20-%20psych%20sheet.pdf
The charter nations competing at Pan Pacs are: US, Australia, Japan and Canada. Other participating nations include Brazil, South Africa, China, Korea, New Zealand and Caymen Islands.
Pan Pacs start on Wednesday, August 18 and run through Saturday, August 21 (the Open Water events are held on August 22).
As usual Ryan is signed up for 7 individual events and presumably will swim 2 relays. I don't think he will swim all of the individual events, but hopefully most of them. Here are his events:
Event 4 - 200m free (Wednesday, August 18)
Other competitors: Tae Hwan Park, Ricky Berens, Kendrick Monk. Notably absent: Michael Phelps
Event 6 - 100m back (Wednesday, August 18)
Other competitors: Aaron Peirsol, David Plummer, Ryosuke Irie, Ashley Delaney, Hayden Stoeckel, Nick Thoman
Event 12 - 100m free (Thursday, August 19)
Other competitors: Cesar Cielo, Michael Phelps, Garrett Weber-Gale, Nathan Adrian, Brent Hayden, Gideon Louw, Jason Lesak, Cullen Jones, George Bovell
Event 16 - 400m IM (Thursday, August 19)
Other competitors: Michael Phelps!!!!, Thiago Pereira, Ous Mellouli, Tyler Clary, Leith Brody, Brian Johns, Robert Margalis, Yuya Horihata. The only swimmers missing from this event are Laszlo Cseh & Luca Marin and this would be the world championships.
Event 20 - 4 x 200m free relay (Thursday, August 19)
Also on team USA: Michael Phelps, Peter Vanderkaay & Ricky Berens
Event 22 - 400m free (Friday, August 20)
Other competitors: Ous Mellouli, Tae Hwan Park, Peter Vanderkaay, Lin Zhang, Robert Hurley.
Event 26 - 200m back (Friday, August 20)
Other competitors: Aaron Peirsol, Ryosuke Irie, Tyler Clary, Nick Thoman, Ashley Delaney, Hayden Stoeckel
Event 30 - 4 x 100m free relay (Friday, August 20)
Also on team USA: Nathan Adrian, Jason Lezak & Garrett Weber-Gale. Will Michael Phelps not swim this relay? Seems difficult to imagine. There are no prelims for the relay so I wonder if the team will have time trials during training camp to decide the final four.
Event 33 - 200m IM (Saturday, August 21)
Other competitors: Michael Phelps, Thiago Pereira, Leith Brodie, Ken Takakuwa, Tyler Clary
I think Ryan will drop the 400 free and swim all of the other events with the possible exception of the 100 free. He may drop the 100 free because it is the same day as (and before) the 400 IM. I can't imagine swimming another event on the same day as the 400 IM.
I'm going to the Pan Pacs for a couple of the days. It will be my first time seeing Ryan swim live!
The charter nations competing at Pan Pacs are: US, Australia, Japan and Canada. Other participating nations include Brazil, South Africa, China, Korea, New Zealand and Caymen Islands.
Pan Pacs start on Wednesday, August 18 and run through Saturday, August 21 (the Open Water events are held on August 22).
As usual Ryan is signed up for 7 individual events and presumably will swim 2 relays. I don't think he will swim all of the individual events, but hopefully most of them. Here are his events:
Event 4 - 200m free (Wednesday, August 18)
Other competitors: Tae Hwan Park, Ricky Berens, Kendrick Monk. Notably absent: Michael Phelps
Event 6 - 100m back (Wednesday, August 18)
Other competitors: Aaron Peirsol, David Plummer, Ryosuke Irie, Ashley Delaney, Hayden Stoeckel, Nick Thoman
Event 12 - 100m free (Thursday, August 19)
Other competitors: Cesar Cielo, Michael Phelps, Garrett Weber-Gale, Nathan Adrian, Brent Hayden, Gideon Louw, Jason Lesak, Cullen Jones, George Bovell
Event 16 - 400m IM (Thursday, August 19)
Other competitors: Michael Phelps!!!!, Thiago Pereira, Ous Mellouli, Tyler Clary, Leith Brody, Brian Johns, Robert Margalis, Yuya Horihata. The only swimmers missing from this event are Laszlo Cseh & Luca Marin and this would be the world championships.
Event 20 - 4 x 200m free relay (Thursday, August 19)
Also on team USA: Michael Phelps, Peter Vanderkaay & Ricky Berens
Event 22 - 400m free (Friday, August 20)
Other competitors: Ous Mellouli, Tae Hwan Park, Peter Vanderkaay, Lin Zhang, Robert Hurley.
Event 26 - 200m back (Friday, August 20)
Other competitors: Aaron Peirsol, Ryosuke Irie, Tyler Clary, Nick Thoman, Ashley Delaney, Hayden Stoeckel
Event 30 - 4 x 100m free relay (Friday, August 20)
Also on team USA: Nathan Adrian, Jason Lezak & Garrett Weber-Gale. Will Michael Phelps not swim this relay? Seems difficult to imagine. There are no prelims for the relay so I wonder if the team will have time trials during training camp to decide the final four.
Event 33 - 200m IM (Saturday, August 21)
Other competitors: Michael Phelps, Thiago Pereira, Leith Brodie, Ken Takakuwa, Tyler Clary
I think Ryan will drop the 400 free and swim all of the other events with the possible exception of the 100 free. He may drop the 100 free because it is the same day as (and before) the 400 IM. I can't imagine swimming another event on the same day as the 400 IM.
I'm going to the Pan Pacs for a couple of the days. It will be my first time seeing Ryan swim live!
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Ryan Lochte conference call on August 11
http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/24803.asp?q=Mark%20Schubert%20and%20Ryan%20Lochte%20Preview%20Pan%20Pacific%20Championships%20in%20Press%20Conference%20on%20Swimming%20World%20Radio
Swimmingworld Magazine posted the audio of Ryan Lochte's and National Team Director Mark Schubert's conference call with the press on August 11. Ryan confirmed he plans to swim in 7 events at Pan Pacs: 200/400 IM, 100/200 free, 200 back and the 4 x 100 and 4 x 200 free relays. Ryan said he needs to practice swimming multiple events at meets so he can qualify for a lot of events in London in 2012. My guess is Ryan's events in London will be similar to the events he is swimming at Pan Pacs.
You can listen to the recording of the press conference by clicking on the link above.
Swimmingworld Magazine posted the audio of Ryan Lochte's and National Team Director Mark Schubert's conference call with the press on August 11. Ryan confirmed he plans to swim in 7 events at Pan Pacs: 200/400 IM, 100/200 free, 200 back and the 4 x 100 and 4 x 200 free relays. Ryan said he needs to practice swimming multiple events at meets so he can qualify for a lot of events in London in 2012. My guess is Ryan's events in London will be similar to the events he is swimming at Pan Pacs.
You can listen to the recording of the press conference by clicking on the link above.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Ryan wins 200 back! finishes Nationals with 3 gold and 2 silver
Ryan won the 200 back tonight by a ton. He could have gone faster if he hadn't hit the lane line several times on the last lap. As he said in his post-race interview, he can improve for Pan Pacs.
The top 4 finishers were:
Ryan Lochte: 1:55.58
Aaron Peirsol: 1:56.28
Tyler Clary: 1:56.36
Michael Phelps: 1:56.98
What a great meet for Ryan. 3 golds and 2 silvers. He has to be the top swimmer for the men at this meet. It's his best major meet as far as I know in terms of individual medals. He's qualified for 8 events at Pan Pacs, including 100/200 free, 200 back 200/400 IM and all 3 relays. Can't wait for Pan Pacs in 2 weeks.
The European championships start on Monday. It will be interesting to see how Laszlo Cseh does in the IM's!
200 back prelim results
Ryan placed 3rd in today's prelims and will be in lane 3 for the finals. Tyler Clary placed 1st and Aaron Peirsol placed 2nd. Michael Phelps was 4th and Matt Grevers was 5th. This should be a very exciting race!!
Watch tonight live on www.swimnetwork.com. The meet begins at 8 pm PDT.
200 back today!
One of Ryan's best events, 200 back, is today. For the prelims he is in heat 14 of 15 in lane 4. Matt Grevers and David Russell are also in his heat.
Aaron Peirsol and Nick Thoman are in heat 15. Michael Phelps and Tyler Clary are in heat 13.
I expect this race to be super competitive as Grevers and Thoman try to make the Pan Pacs team.
Ryan is looking so strong, I expect him to win.
Aaron Peirsol and Nick Thoman are in heat 15. Michael Phelps and Tyler Clary are in heat 13.
I expect this race to be super competitive as Grevers and Thoman try to make the Pan Pacs team.
Ryan is looking so strong, I expect him to win.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Ryan places 1st in 200 IM and 2nd in 100 free
I don't even know where to begin. Ryan Lochte had his best night of swimming ever, and he's had a lot of great nights of swimming.
First, he finished 2nd in the 100 free against a bunch of guys who are sprinters, not the guy who won the 400 IM. Next, he won the 200 IM, in the best time ever in a textile suit, and beat Michael Phelps. By more than 1 second. He swam these events less than 30 minutes apart!
In the second 50 of the 100 free, Ryan swam faster than Nathan Adrian who won the race and is the best sprinter in the U.S. In the breaststroke leg of the 200 IM, Ryan swam only .03 slower than Eric Shanteau, one of the greatest breaststrokers in the world.
Amazing. Ryan's time in the 100 free was 48.83. His time in the 200 IM was 1:54.84.
If Ryan qualifies for Pan Pacs in the 200 back, he will be in 8 events. 8! Wow.
Photos from tonight in the next post. I'm still trying to process this.
First, he finished 2nd in the 100 free against a bunch of guys who are sprinters, not the guy who won the 400 IM. Next, he won the 200 IM, in the best time ever in a textile suit, and beat Michael Phelps. By more than 1 second. He swam these events less than 30 minutes apart!
In the second 50 of the 100 free, Ryan swam faster than Nathan Adrian who won the race and is the best sprinter in the U.S. In the breaststroke leg of the 200 IM, Ryan swam only .03 slower than Eric Shanteau, one of the greatest breaststrokers in the world.
Amazing. Ryan's time in the 100 free was 48.83. His time in the 200 IM was 1:54.84.
If Ryan qualifies for Pan Pacs in the 200 back, he will be in 8 events. 8! Wow.
Photos from tonight in the next post. I'm still trying to process this.
Ryan qualified for tonight's finals for 100m free and 200m IM
100m Free - Ryan qualified 5th with a time of 49.17. If he swims in tonight's final, he will be in lane 2. Other swimmers qualifying for the A final were (in order of finish) Jason Lezak, David Walters, Nathan Adrian, Garrett Weber-Gale, Matt Grevers, Nick Brunelli and Scott Robison.
200m IM - Ryan qualified 3rd with a time of 2:00.69. I had to laugh when I saw his splits. He would have placed first except he took it very easy on the freestyle leg. His splits were: 25.38 (fly) 30.14 (back) 34.15 (breast) and 31.02 (free). By comparison, Michael Phelps and Tyler Clary, who finished 1st and 2nd, had freestyle splits of 28.75 and 28.59. Other qualifiers (in order of finish) were Todd Patrick, David Nolan, Conor Dwyer, Austin Surhoff and Eric Shanteau. Ryan will be in lane 3 for tonight's final. Can't wait for this race!
History of Phelps/Lochte rivalry in the 200 IM
Can't wait for this race!! To add to the hype, here's a comprehensive history of the Phelps/Lochte rivalry in the 200 IM, dating back to Athens 2004. Ryan has always been so close but never winning until last year when Phelps did not swim.
This race is the highlight of Nationals for me. I fell in love with swimming watching these two battle it out in the 400 IM at the 2008 Olympic trials.
If you are a fan of Ryan and Michael Phelps, you will enjoy this article, written by David Rieder:
http://swimdr549.blogspot.com/2010/08/us-nationals-phelps-vs-lochte.html
Here are videos of some of the past 200 IM battles:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaEItNfFOxo This is the battle at 2006 Nationals. So mad I could not get it to embed!
This race is the highlight of Nationals for me. I fell in love with swimming watching these two battle it out in the 400 IM at the 2008 Olympic trials.
If you are a fan of Ryan and Michael Phelps, you will enjoy this article, written by David Rieder:
http://swimdr549.blogspot.com/2010/08/us-nationals-phelps-vs-lochte.html
Here are videos of some of the past 200 IM battles:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaEItNfFOxo This is the battle at 2006 Nationals. So mad I could not get it to embed!
Day 4 of US Nationals - 100 free & 200 IM today!
100m free - Event #20
Ryan is in heat 17 of 17 for the prelims of the 100 free, which is the 1st event today. He is in lane 5. Also in his heat are Cullen Jones, David Walters and Nick Brunelli. I think Ryan can win this heat.
200m IM - Event #22
Ryan is in heat 20 of 20 for the prelims of the 200 IM. He is in lane 4. Also in his heat are Alex Vanderkay, Todd Patrick and Rex Tullius. Will also be watching closely heat 18, which has Michael Phelps and Tyler Clary and heat 19, which has Eric Shanteau and Jack Brown. I've been looking forward to this race most of all.
Wish Ryan did not have a double for the 200 IM, but at the same time I hope he swims the finals of the 100 free. I think he has a good shot of finishing in the top 4.
Ryan is in heat 17 of 17 for the prelims of the 100 free, which is the 1st event today. He is in lane 5. Also in his heat are Cullen Jones, David Walters and Nick Brunelli. I think Ryan can win this heat.
200m IM - Event #22
Ryan is in heat 20 of 20 for the prelims of the 200 IM. He is in lane 4. Also in his heat are Alex Vanderkay, Todd Patrick and Rex Tullius. Will also be watching closely heat 18, which has Michael Phelps and Tyler Clary and heat 19, which has Eric Shanteau and Jack Brown. I've been looking forward to this race most of all.
Wish Ryan did not have a double for the 200 IM, but at the same time I hope he swims the finals of the 100 free. I think he has a good shot of finishing in the top 4.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Ryan has today off
This means Ryan scratched the 50 free and 100 fly, which was expected.
Tomorrow is the 200 IM and 100 free. Saturday is the 200 back.
We have two more exciting races between Michael Phelps and Ryan to look forward to (200 IM & 200 back).
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Watch the 200 free, 400 IM and other races at Nationals on Swimnetwork.com
Here is the link for videos:
http://www.swimnetwork.com/Events/Meets/2010/August/National-Championships.aspx?t=video
There are also a post-race interviews with Ryan for the 400 IM and 200 free.
If I find some more photos from tonight, I will post them.
http://www.swimnetwork.com/Events/Meets/2010/August/National-Championships.aspx?t=video
There are also a post-race interviews with Ryan for the 400 IM and 200 free.
If I find some more photos from tonight, I will post them.
Ryan places 2nd in 200m free!
He was so close to winning. I thought he had it, but 2nd is very very good. Michael Phelps took first. Ryan has now qualified for two more events at Pan Pacs - the 200 free and the 800 free relay. Also qualifying for the relay was Peter Vanderkaay (3rd) and Ricky Berens (4th). This means the relay will have the same four who won gold in Beijing.
Ryan qualifies for A final in 200 free, scratches 100 back
In today's prelims, Ryan finished 3rd in the 200 free with a time of 1:48.23. He has a good shot at winning this event tonight. He looked really strong in the prelims but seemed to take it easy. I think he can go a lot faster. Will be a fun race to watch.
Here's what www.swimmingworldmagazine.com said about today's prelims for the 200 free:
Men's 200 free
"NBAC's Michael Phelps made his first appearance of the meet with a fifth-seeded time of 1:48.40. After a rare day off yesterday, Phelps put out just enough energy to make the finale. He's been much faster with an eighth-ranked season best of 1:47.54 at the Paris Open. Club Wolverine's Peter Vanderkaay and Lake Forest's Conor Dwyer cleared 1:48 in prelims to lead the way into the finale. Vanderkaay, who won the 400 free last night, posted a 1:47.25 for the top seed. That swim bumped him into sixth in the world behind Takeshi Matsuda's 1:47.01. Dwyer, meanwhile, picked up the second seed with a 1:47.83. He moved to 16th in the rankings with that time. After winning the 400 IM last night with a top-ranked time, Daytona Beach's Ryan Lochte qualified third today with a 1:48.23, while Longhorn's Ricky Berens finished fourth in 1:48.28. Both times are among the top 25 in the world."
Read the entire article at http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/24720.asp?q=U.S.%20Long%20Course%20Nationals:%20Day%20Two%20Prelims
I was not too surprised to see that Ryan scratched the 100 back. He can always swim it at Pan Pacs if he wants to try to qualify for 2011 Worlds.
Tonight's finals begin at 6 pm PDT. Watch them here www.universalsports.com or here www.swimnetwork.com
I have to say, I prefer Gold Medal Mel's race commentary on www.swimnetwork.com.
Here's what www.swimmingworldmagazine.com said about today's prelims for the 200 free:
Men's 200 free
"NBAC's Michael Phelps made his first appearance of the meet with a fifth-seeded time of 1:48.40. After a rare day off yesterday, Phelps put out just enough energy to make the finale. He's been much faster with an eighth-ranked season best of 1:47.54 at the Paris Open. Club Wolverine's Peter Vanderkaay and Lake Forest's Conor Dwyer cleared 1:48 in prelims to lead the way into the finale. Vanderkaay, who won the 400 free last night, posted a 1:47.25 for the top seed. That swim bumped him into sixth in the world behind Takeshi Matsuda's 1:47.01. Dwyer, meanwhile, picked up the second seed with a 1:47.83. He moved to 16th in the rankings with that time. After winning the 400 IM last night with a top-ranked time, Daytona Beach's Ryan Lochte qualified third today with a 1:48.23, while Longhorn's Ricky Berens finished fourth in 1:48.28. Both times are among the top 25 in the world."
Read the entire article at http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/24720.asp?q=U.S.%20Long%20Course%20Nationals:%20Day%20Two%20Prelims
I was not too surprised to see that Ryan scratched the 100 back. He can always swim it at Pan Pacs if he wants to try to qualify for 2011 Worlds.
Tonight's finals begin at 6 pm PDT. Watch them here www.universalsports.com or here www.swimnetwork.com
I have to say, I prefer Gold Medal Mel's race commentary on www.swimnetwork.com.
100 back and 200 free prelims today - Watch Ryan swim against Michael Phelps
My guess is Ryan will scratch the 100 back and concentrate on the 200 free. The 100 back, whether Ryan competes or not, will be one of the most exciting races of the whole meet because the field is so deep. Aaron Peirsol, Nick Thoman and Matt Grevers would probably finish 1-2-3 if the Olympics were held today (and if 3 swimmers from the US could compete).
Prelims start at 9 am PDT and can be watched here: http://www.swimnetwork.com/
The 200 free is event #9 (the second event today). Ryan is in heat 17 of 17, in lane 5 right next to Michael Phelps in lane 4.
The 100 back is event #10 (the third event today). If Ryan does not scratch, he will be in heat 14 of 15, in lane 6. Also in his heat are Nick Thoman, Ben Hesen and Rex Tullius.
Real-time race results are here: http://www.omegatiming.com/livetiming/index.htm
Overall results and lane assignments can be found here: http://www.star-meets.org/results/Nats/2010/
Prelims start at 9 am PDT and can be watched here: http://www.swimnetwork.com/
The 200 free is event #9 (the second event today). Ryan is in heat 17 of 17, in lane 5 right next to Michael Phelps in lane 4.
The 100 back is event #10 (the third event today). If Ryan does not scratch, he will be in heat 14 of 15, in lane 6. Also in his heat are Nick Thoman, Ben Hesen and Rex Tullius.
Real-time race results are here: http://www.omegatiming.com/livetiming/index.htm
Overall results and lane assignments can be found here: http://www.star-meets.org/results/Nats/2010/
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
More on the 400 IM
Here are the splits for Lochte and Clary:
1 Lochte, Ryan 26 Daytona Beach-FL 4:16.34 4:09.98 928 20
r:+0.72 26.02 55.95 (29.93)
1:27.02 (31.07) 1:58.06 (31.04)
2:34.54 (36.48) 3:10.75 (36.21)
3:41.35 (30.60) 4:09.98 (28.63)
2 Clary, Tyler 21 FAST Swim Team-C 4:15.87 4:14.12 883 17
r:+0.67 26.06 55.87 (29.81)
1:26.76 (30.89) 1:57.28 (30.52)
2:34.05 (36.77) 3:11.99 (37.94)
3:43.37 (31.38) 4:14.12 (30.75)
Ryan negative split the back, breast and free. I am so happy with this swim. He can go faster at Pan Pacs.
Ryan wins 400 IM with fastest time in the world in 2010!
Ryan placed first in the 400 IM with a time of 4:09.98. Never bet against Ryan Lochte. Not that I actually bet against him, but I started to believe the injury hype and thought Tyler Clary had a good chance tonight. Instead, Ryan crushed him in the last 150m and finished first by almost 5 seconds.
Oh, and his new Speedo shoes? are awesome.
Ryan placed second in 400 IM prelims
Here's what swimmingworldmagazine.com had to say about the race:
Men's 400 IM
FAST's Tyler Clary stopped the clock in 4:15.87 to improve upon his 12th-ranked spot in the world. He'd previously charted a 4:16.37 at the Los Angeles Grand Prix. Daytona Beach's Ryan Lochte qualified second in 4:16.34 to move to 13th in the world, but definitely struggled during his breaststroke leg likely due to his announced groin injury. FAST's Robert Margalis (4:17.43) and Poseidon's William Harris (4:17.63) qualified third and fourth. NBAC's Todd Patrick (4:18.31), Delaware's Andrew Gemmell (4:19.58), Athens Bulldog Bill Cregar (4:20.39) and NBAC's Brennan Morris (4:20.77) took up the rest of the top eight...
The entire article can be read here: http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/24708.asp
Watch finals tonight starting at 8 pm CDT at http://www.universalsports.com/
Men's 400 IM
FAST's Tyler Clary stopped the clock in 4:15.87 to improve upon his 12th-ranked spot in the world. He'd previously charted a 4:16.37 at the Los Angeles Grand Prix. Daytona Beach's Ryan Lochte qualified second in 4:16.34 to move to 13th in the world, but definitely struggled during his breaststroke leg likely due to his announced groin injury. FAST's Robert Margalis (4:17.43) and Poseidon's William Harris (4:17.63) qualified third and fourth. NBAC's Todd Patrick (4:18.31), Delaware's Andrew Gemmell (4:19.58), Athens Bulldog Bill Cregar (4:20.39) and NBAC's Brennan Morris (4:20.77) took up the rest of the top eight...
The entire article can be read here: http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/24708.asp
Watch finals tonight starting at 8 pm CDT at http://www.universalsports.com/
400m IM prelims - Ryan in heat 5 of 17, lane 4
He's right next to Robert Margalis, which is great because Robert will push him.
Here's where the prelim heat and lane assignments can be found along with results:
http://www.star-meets.org/results/Nats/2010/
If you want live results, check Omega: http://www.omegatiming.com/livetiming/index.htm
Here's where the prelim heat and lane assignments can be found along with results:
http://www.star-meets.org/results/Nats/2010/
If you want live results, check Omega: http://www.omegatiming.com/livetiming/index.htm
Ryan to compete in 400 IM, scratches 400 free
http://theswimmerscircle.com/blog/2010/08/03/lochte-scratches-400-free-to-swim-400-im/
According to www.theswimmerscircle.com it's official: Ryan is swimming the 400 IM today and he scratched the 400 free. Prelims for the 400 IM (Event #6) take place later today. The meet is currently on Event #2 at noon CDT.
Prelims can be viewed live on swimnetwork.com: http://www.swimnetwork.com/
Live results can be found here: http://livetiming.omegatiming.com/swimming/java/swim_v4A.html
Tonight's finals will be on Universal Sports starting at 6 pm PDT!
According to www.theswimmerscircle.com it's official: Ryan is swimming the 400 IM today and he scratched the 400 free. Prelims for the 400 IM (Event #6) take place later today. The meet is currently on Event #2 at noon CDT.
Prelims can be viewed live on swimnetwork.com: http://www.swimnetwork.com/
Live results can be found here: http://livetiming.omegatiming.com/swimming/java/swim_v4A.html
Tonight's finals will be on Universal Sports starting at 6 pm PDT!
Pre-nationals Swimnetwork Interview of Ryan Lochte
The interview can be found here:
http://www.swimnetwork.com/Events/Meets/2010/August/National-Championships.aspx
Here's the 200 back video from 2006 Ryan is talking about:
http://www.swimnetwork.com/Events/Meets/2010/August/National-Championships.aspx
Here's the 200 back video from 2006 Ryan is talking about:
Monday, August 2, 2010
Nationals Preview - Day 1 from theswimmerscircle.com
http://theswimmerscircle.com/blog/2010/08/03/nationals-day-1-preview/
Lots of good information in this blog, including this about Ryan's injury:
"I heard from a guy who heard from a guy who heard from an unreliable source that Lochte has been swimming breaststroke in practice this week, so I’m going to lean towards him swimming the IM’s, but stay tuned. If he does go on the 400 IM, expect him to scratch the 400 free."
Let's hope this information is correct!
Lots of good information in this blog, including this about Ryan's injury:
"I heard from a guy who heard from a guy who heard from an unreliable source that Lochte has been swimming breaststroke in practice this week, so I’m going to lean towards him swimming the IM’s, but stay tuned. If he does go on the 400 IM, expect him to scratch the 400 free."
Let's hope this information is correct!
U.S. Olympic Committee article on Ryan, his injuries, and competing at Nationals
This is a good article by Brandon Penny with some new information from Ryan and his coach Gregg Troy on how they dealt with Ryan's injuries.
http://www.teamusa.org/refresh/news/2010/08/02/lochte-calm-and-collected-for-nationals/37619?ngb_id=3
Here's an excerpt:
"The six-time Olympic medalist was forced to spend a month entirely out of water. After that, it was a three-month recovery process for him to slowly get back to a normal routine. Instead of losing his form and getting rusty, Lochte spent his recovery time learning more about his body and the sport.
“November to December, we were really limited about what we could do,” said coach Gregg Troy, Lochte’s long-time coach. “He did a tremendous job with fitness exercises through that whole point.”
* * *
Troy said that during his recovery, Lochte learned that he could improve himself outside of the water as well.
“He did a fantastic job in the weight room,” Troy said. “He learned how to take care of his body, and worked on some core body exercises.”
Lochte was still in the water during that time, but Troy had him focusing on different areas outside of their normal routines. Lochte spent more time than ever on his butterfly technique and increased his upper body strength.
“I think that aspect was actually really good for us,” Troy said. “Because it made us address what was his actual weakness.”
When Lochte returned to his normal routine in February, since the coach-swimmer duo were unsure if he would be able to swim the individual medley (IM) races, they put a new focus on distance freestyle and Lochte picked up the 400-meter freestyle."
http://www.teamusa.org/refresh/news/2010/08/02/lochte-calm-and-collected-for-nationals/37619?ngb_id=3
Here's an excerpt:
"The six-time Olympic medalist was forced to spend a month entirely out of water. After that, it was a three-month recovery process for him to slowly get back to a normal routine. Instead of losing his form and getting rusty, Lochte spent his recovery time learning more about his body and the sport.
“November to December, we were really limited about what we could do,” said coach Gregg Troy, Lochte’s long-time coach. “He did a tremendous job with fitness exercises through that whole point.”
* * *
Troy said that during his recovery, Lochte learned that he could improve himself outside of the water as well.
“He did a fantastic job in the weight room,” Troy said. “He learned how to take care of his body, and worked on some core body exercises.”
Lochte was still in the water during that time, but Troy had him focusing on different areas outside of their normal routines. Lochte spent more time than ever on his butterfly technique and increased his upper body strength.
“I think that aspect was actually really good for us,” Troy said. “Because it made us address what was his actual weakness.”
When Lochte returned to his normal routine in February, since the coach-swimmer duo were unsure if he would be able to swim the individual medley (IM) races, they put a new focus on distance freestyle and Lochte picked up the 400-meter freestyle."
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Pre-nationals article about Ryan from Daytona Beach News Journal
Michael Lewis wrote an article about Ryan. Here's an excerpt that discusses Ryan's groin injury:
"The big question this week, though, is the injured groin. If he were fully healthy, Lochte would have a chance to go head to head with the Batman to his Robin, Phelps, in four events (200 free, 100 butterfly, 200 IM, 200 backstroke).
Sounds like Ryan's groin injury is still day-to-day. He may not know until Tuesday if he's swimming the 400 free or the 400 IM.
He just needs to qualify for Pan Pacs in one event. Then he can give his groin a couple more weeks to heal and swim the IMs there.
"The big question this week, though, is the injured groin. If he were fully healthy, Lochte would have a chance to go head to head with the Batman to his Robin, Phelps, in four events (200 free, 100 butterfly, 200 IM, 200 backstroke).
As it is, he might have to skip his beloved IM's if the groin isn't 100 percent. As important as the nationals are, Lochte is beyond having to prove himself, so there is no reason to risk a long-term injury if the groin muscle is not ready to go.
If Lochte is fully healthy, look for him in both 200 IM and 400 IM, the 200 free, the 100 fly, the 200 backstroke and perhaps the 100 free and 100 backstroke.
Troy said that if the IMs are out, Lochte will likely add the 400 freestyle."
The full article can be read here: http://www.news-journalonline.com/sports/local-sports/2010/08/01/uncharted-waters.htmlSounds like Ryan's groin injury is still day-to-day. He may not know until Tuesday if he's swimming the 400 free or the 400 IM.
He just needs to qualify for Pan Pacs in one event. Then he can give his groin a couple more weeks to heal and swim the IMs there.
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