No surprise given that Ryan won 8 world championship medals and set 2 world records!
http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/MorningSwimShow/32943.asp?q=Performance-of-the-Week%3A-Dec.-18%2C-2012
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Monday, December 17, 2012
Ryan Lochte and the 200 Back
Ryan's most disappointing race in the 2012 Olympics was the 200m back. It was really difficult, but after reading this article at swimmingworldmagazine.com, http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/Commentary/32937.asp?q=Should-Ryan-Lochte-Retire-From-the-200-Backstroke? I made myself re-watch it for the first time since August 2nd.
Ryan had a nice lead in the first half of the race but had a bad turn at the 150m and then died in the last 50.
I agree with everything in the Swimmingworldmagazine article. The 200m IM is Ryan's best event and the 200 back/200 IM double is too difficult for any human being to conquer. Ryan's gold/bronze finish in those events in Beijing 2008 and his bronze/silver finish in London 2012 defies belief. Nobody else could do better.
I honestly thought he had a chance at gold in both events in London 2012. When he failed to win gold in both, I thought maybe he used poor race strategy in the 200 back (something he rarely does). Maybe he overtrained, didn't hit his taper right, was demoralized from the 400 free relay and/or the 200 free, or was tired on his last day of competition (his 12th and 13th swims in 6 days). It could have been one or all of those things. It could also be that the 200 back/200 IM double is physically impossible for any human being to handle, even if he trains harder and longer than anyone else.
I honestly thought he had a chance at gold in both events in London 2012. When he failed to win gold in both, I thought maybe he used poor race strategy in the 200 back (something he rarely does). Maybe he overtrained, didn't hit his taper right, was demoralized from the 400 free relay and/or the 200 free, or was tired on his last day of competition (his 12th and 13th swims in 6 days). It could have been one or all of those things. It could also be that the 200 back/200 IM double is physically impossible for any human being to handle, even if he trains harder and longer than anyone else.
At this point I feel it would be best for Ryan to give up the 200 back, but only for 2016 Rio when it falls on the same day as the 200 IM. He doesn't need to give it up for 2013 or 2015 Worlds or for 2014 Pan Pacs given that it takes place at the end of those meets, just before the 400 IM, which he has already said he will not swim.
It's true that Tyler Clary, Ryan Murphy, Jack Conger and others are rising stars in the 200 back and it's possible they will all finish higher than Ryan Lochte at 2013 US Nationals. I don't think Ryan should shy away from that challenge, though. I'd like to see him continue with the event in the non-Olympic years until he is actually defeated by two of those guys.
For another interesting perspective, read this: Speed Endurance Lochte 200 Back Article. I disagree with the last sentence of the post: "(It might not matter soon anyway... Ryan Murphy (17), the second coming of Aaron Peirsol, has arrived)" That statement is a bit premature in my opinion. Ryan Murphy will have arrived only when he beats Ryan Lochte or Tyler Claryin a major competition for the first time, like when Lochte won the gold at 2007 Worlds over Peirsol.
For another interesting perspective, read this: Speed Endurance Lochte 200 Back Article. I disagree with the last sentence of the post: "(It might not matter soon anyway... Ryan Murphy (17), the second coming of Aaron Peirsol, has arrived)" That statement is a bit premature in my opinion. Ryan Murphy will have arrived only when he beats Ryan Lochte or Tyler Claryin a major competition for the first time, like when Lochte won the gold at 2007 Worlds over Peirsol.
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Short Course World Championships - Day 5
Ryan has a tough triple today: 200 Back, 100 IM and the 4 x 100 Medley Relay.
200 Back:
Ryan qualified first in this morning's prelims with a time of 1:49.71. Here are the 8 qualifiers for the finals.
1 LOCHTE Ryan - 1:49.71
2 MURPHY Ryan - 1:50.60
3 KAWECKI Radoslaw - 1:50.92
4 DELANEY Ashley -1:51.20
5 BERNEK Peter - 1:51.33
6 HAGINO Kosuke - 1:51.38
7 MAHONEY Travis - 1:51.68
8 DIENER Christian - 1:52.25
The WR is 1:46.11, a suit record set by Arkady Vyatchanin of Russia in 2009. The textile WR is 1:46.68, held by Ryan. Let's see if he can go faster today.
100 IM:
Ryan broke the WR in yesterday's semi-finals. With the 200 Back happening only minutes before the 100 IM final (the two events are separated only by the women's 200 Breast), I have always thought the semi's were Ryan's best chance for a WR. We'll see!
Here are the 8 qualifiers for today's final:
1 LOCHTE Ryan - 50.71 WR
2 TO Kenneth - 51.47
3 BOVELL III George - 51.66
4 SJÖDIN Simon - 52.51
5 DWYER Conor - 52.74
6 MANKOC Peter - 52.80
7 SETO Daiya - 53.10
8 FUJII Takuro - 53.14
4 x 100 Medley Relay
What leg will Ryan swim? He could swim any leg except the breaststroke. Matt Grevers could swim back or free. The US qualified 1st in this morning's prelims with the following lineup:
MURPHY Ryan (back)
ALEXANDROV Mihail (breast)
SHIELDS Thomas (fly)
ERVIN Anthony (free)
Given this lineup in prelims, my guess for finals is:
Matt Grevers (back)
Kevin Cordes (breast)
Ryan Lochte (fly)
Jim Feigen (free)
Alternatively, because Tom Shields had a faster 100 Fly time than Ryan in the individual event, the lineup could be:
Matt Grevers (back)
Kevin Cordes (breast)
Tom Shields (fly)
Ryan Lochte (free)
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Word Record #2 of the Meet in the Semi-Finals
This isn't the greatest video - it's from somebody's tv screen. But it gives you a chance to see the WR in case you missed it live. I'll post a better video later when one becomes available.
The race begins at 2:38....
2012 Short Course Worlds - Day 4 - 100 IM!!
Day 4 of the Short Course Worlds has the 100 IM, my favorite race. Ryan swam an easy 51.75 in the prelims, nearly 2 seconds faster than the next-closest qualifier.
In the semi-finals later today, Ryan has his best chance of breaking the World Record. It will be easier today because it is his only event. Tomorrow in the finals he will also have the 200 back and the 4 x 100 medley relay.
In 2010, Ryan had the same situation and swam a 50.81 in the semis, which was only .05 off the WR. He swam slower the next day in the finals because of the 200 back. It would be great to see if he can beat the WR and get close to breaking 50 seconds.
In the semi-finals later today, Ryan has his best chance of breaking the World Record. It will be easier today because it is his only event. Tomorrow in the finals he will also have the 200 back and the 4 x 100 medley relay.
In 2010, Ryan had the same situation and swam a 50.81 in the semis, which was only .05 off the WR. He swam slower the next day in the finals because of the 200 back. It would be great to see if he can beat the WR and get close to breaking 50 seconds.
Friday, December 14, 2012
Ryan Lochte Finally Breaks 1:50 in the 200 IM
1:49.63 - What a great swim!
Swim Swam has some very informative information about the 200 IM record in this article: http://swimswam.com/2012/12/ryan-lochte-breaks-world-record-in-200-short-course-im/
Notably, Swim Swam has a comparison of splits from the 2010 WR vs. the 2012 WR:
Lochte ’10 24.07 27.35 32.07 26.59 1:50.08
Lochte ’12 23.71 27.03 31.74 27.15 1:49.63
Also:
Here’s what’s really crazy: the second-best swimmer in this race is Darian Townsend from South Africa, almost two seconds behind in a 1:51.55. That’s the biggest gap of any men’s World Record 400 meters or shorter.
Day 3 - 2012 Short Course World Championships - 200 IM
Ryan has the top time after this morning's heats. Here is the list of 8 swimmers who qualified for finals:
1 LOCHTE Ryan - 1:53.31
2 TO Kenneth - 1:53.57
3 SETO Daiya -1:54.41
4 CSEH Laszlo - 1:54.50
5 DWYER Conor - 1:54.67
6 SJÖDIN Simon - 1:54.90
7 CARVALHO Diogo - 1:55.14
8 HAGINO Kosuke - 1:55.41
Finals begin at 12:00 noon EST/11:00 am CST
Best bet for a live stream: http://www.trtdeutsch.com/trtworld/Canli/Live.aspx?chn=TV3&dil=de
It's not in English but it's better than nothing.
1 LOCHTE Ryan - 1:53.31
2 TO Kenneth - 1:53.57
3 SETO Daiya -1:54.41
4 CSEH Laszlo - 1:54.50
5 DWYER Conor - 1:54.67
6 SJÖDIN Simon - 1:54.90
7 CARVALHO Diogo - 1:55.14
8 HAGINO Kosuke - 1:55.41
Finals begin at 12:00 noon EST/11:00 am CST
Best bet for a live stream: http://www.trtdeutsch.com/trtworld/Canli/Live.aspx?chn=TV3&dil=de
It's not in English but it's better than nothing.
Thursday, December 13, 2012
According to Swimming World Magazine Ryan Lochte's prize money so far is $9,500
Gender Name 1st 2nd 3rd Total
| Male | Ryan Lochte | USA | 1.5 | $7,500 | 0 | $0 | 1 | $2,000 | $9,500 |
The prize money for SC Worlds is: $5,000 for first place, $3,000 for second place and $2,000 for third. The relays are awarded a single prize, which is split four ways.
Ryan's results are:
200 Free - 1st (1 x $5,000)
100 Fly - 3rd (1 x $2,000)
400 Free Relay - 1st (.25 x $5,000 = $1,250)
800 Free Relay - 1st (.25 x $5,000 = $1,250)
$9,000 Total
The entire chart is here: http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/World/32905.asp
SC World Championships Thursday Finals - 100 Fly & 4 x 200 Free Relay
Ryan has two finals today: 100 Fly and 4 x 200 Free Relay, the second to last and last events of today's session. For the 100 Fly he is in lane 6. For the Relay, the US is in lane 6.
Start time estimates are 1:33 pm EST/12:33 pm CST for the 100 Fly and 2:04 pm EST/1:04 pm CST for the Relay.
For a live stream, try: Live Stream or Live Stream
Start time estimates are 1:33 pm EST/12:33 pm CST for the 100 Fly and 2:04 pm EST/1:04 pm CST for the Relay.
For a live stream, try: Live Stream or Live Stream
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
According to BBC Ryan will be swimming in the 4 x100 free relay
The final is today. This is after the 200 free final (which he won) and the 100 fly semi-final. Looks like he's going for 9 events.
Watch here: live stream or here: live stream
Watch here: live stream or here: live stream
Ryan Swims Fastest Times in 200 Free and 100 Fly Heats
Ryan safely made it into today's finals for the 200 Free and the semi-finals for the 100 Fly by swimming the fastest times in the heats for both events.
Here are the qualifiers for the 200 Free final:
1 LOCHTE Ryan - 1:42.41
2 ANDRUSENKO Viatcheslav -1:43.98
3 BIEDERMANN Paul -1:44.05
4 STANLEY Matthew -1:44.13
5 KILLEY Jarrod - 1:44.33
6 DWYER Conor -1:44.61
7 COLUPAEV Dimitri - 1:44.84
7 HOCKIN BRUSQUETTI Benjamin - 1:44.84
The lane assignments for the final are:
1 - Colupaev
2 - Killey
3 - Biedermann
4 - Lochte
5 - Andrusenko
6 - Stanley
7 - Dwyer
8 - Hockin Brusquetti
The WR for the 200 Free is 1:39.37 (a suit time) held by Paul Biedermann of Germany. Ryan has the textile WR of 1:41.08, which was set at the 2010 Short Course World Championships in Dubai. Let's see if he can beat it tonight.
Here are the qualifiers for the 100 Fly semi-finals:
1 LOCHTE Ryan - 50.16
2 WU Peng - 50.49
3 LE CLOS Chad - 50.73
4 VERLINDEN Joeri - 50.81
5 SHIELDS Thomas - 50.82
6 CSEH Laszlo - 50.86
7 MANKOC Peter - 50.99
8 KANEDA Kazuya - 51.00
9 TO Kenneth - 51.06
10 DUNFORD Jason - 51.14
11 CZERNIAK Konrad - 51.15
12 RIVOLTA Matteo - 51.19 1
13 SKVORTSOV Nikolay - 51.29
13 MUÑOZ PEREZ Rafael - 51.29
15 HEERSBRANDT François BEL - 51.31
16 TSURKIN Yauhen - 51.47
Ryan will be in Heat 2 of the semi-finals, lane 4 - right next to Chad Le Clos in lane 5. The WR for the 100 Fly is 48.48, a suit record. The textile WR is 49.07 held by Ian Crocker. I think that record is in jeopardy in the finals given this strong field.
With respect to the 4 x 100 free relay, the US qualified second with a team of Anthony Ervin, Garrett Weber-Gale, Tyler Reed and Jimmy Feigen. I think for the finals tonight the US will swap out Matt Grevers for Tyler Reed.
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Prize Money for Short Course Worlds
I thought this was interesting....
Fina.org
Fina.org
Prize money will be allocated to swimmers as follows:
1st place: US$ 5,000
2nd place: US$ 3,000
3rd place: US$ 2,000
2nd place: US$ 3,000
3rd place: US$ 2,000
Total: US$ 10,000 x 40 events = US$ 400,000
+ World Record (for each): US$ 15,000
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Monday, December 10, 2012
2012 Short Course World Championships - December 12 - 16, 2012
The 2012 Short Course World Championships take place every other year. The 2012 event is in Istanbul, Turkey and begins on Wednesday, December 12. For those of us in the U.S., Istanbul is 7 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time.
The meet will televised by Universal Sports, a channel almost nobody receives. The Universal Sports website will have "highlight videos." Universal Sports is famous (infamous?) for producing shortened race videos, i.e. only the first and last 50's of a race are shown. It's horrible. Hopefully they will not do it this time.
The Event Page can be found here: http://universalsports.com/swimming/2012-fina-worlds-25m/
Realtime results can be found here: Omega Timing
I would encourage anyone in the US who wants to watch this event to download Expat Shield and watch it live on Eurosport. Other than dealing with the time change, you won't regret it.
As usual, read www.swimswam.com and www.swimmingworldmagazine.com for the most up-to-date news.
Ryan is scheduled to swim in 5 individual events: 200 Free, 100 Fly, 50 Fly, 200 IM and 200 Back. If he swims all three relays, he will be in 8 events total. The relay lineups have not yet been announced. Given the schedule below, I am going to guess that he swims in the 4 x 200 Free Relay and the 4 x 100 Medley Relay and not the 4 x 100 Free relay.
Click on the Heat Sheets below:
200 Free - Event 1 - Heat 9, Lane 6 (Wednesday, December 12 - Morning Heats, Evening Finals)
100 Fly - Event 7 - Heat 10, Lane 1 (Wednesday, December 12 - Morning Heats, Evening Semi-Finals)
(Thursday, December 13 - Evening Finals)
4 x 100 Free Relay (Wednesday, December 12 - Morning Heats, Evening Finals)
4 x 200 Free Relay (Thursday, December 13 - Morning Heats, Evening Finals)
50 Fly - Event 20 - Heat 9, Lane 6 (Friday, December 14 - Morning Heats, Evening Semi-Finals)
(Saturday, December 15 - Evening Finals)
200 IM - Event 23 - Heat 4, Lane 4 (Friday, December 14 - Morning Heats, Evening Finals)
100 IM - Event 30 - Heat 2, Lane 5 (Saturday, December 15 - Morning Heats, Evening Semi-Finals)
(Sunday, December 16 - Evening Finals)
200 Back - Event 35 - Heat 4, Lane 4 (Sunday, December 16 - Morning Heats, Evening Finals)
4 x 100 Medley Relay (Sunday, December 16 - Morning Heats, Evening Finals)
REVISED: Brian Pasek pointed out in the comments that Ryan is swimming the 100 IM. That's great news. I missed it when scanning the heat sheets last night.
Now I am even more convinced he will not swim in the 4 x 100 free relay. 6 individual events and 2 relays is a pretty heavy schedule.
The meet will televised by Universal Sports, a channel almost nobody receives. The Universal Sports website will have "highlight videos." Universal Sports is famous (infamous?) for producing shortened race videos, i.e. only the first and last 50's of a race are shown. It's horrible. Hopefully they will not do it this time.
The Event Page can be found here: http://universalsports.com/swimming/2012-fina-worlds-25m/
Realtime results can be found here: Omega Timing
I would encourage anyone in the US who wants to watch this event to download Expat Shield and watch it live on Eurosport. Other than dealing with the time change, you won't regret it.
As usual, read www.swimswam.com and www.swimmingworldmagazine.com for the most up-to-date news.
Ryan is scheduled to swim in 5 individual events: 200 Free, 100 Fly, 50 Fly, 200 IM and 200 Back. If he swims all three relays, he will be in 8 events total. The relay lineups have not yet been announced. Given the schedule below, I am going to guess that he swims in the 4 x 200 Free Relay and the 4 x 100 Medley Relay and not the 4 x 100 Free relay.
Click on the Heat Sheets below:
200 Free - Event 1 - Heat 9, Lane 6 (Wednesday, December 12 - Morning Heats, Evening Finals)
100 Fly - Event 7 - Heat 10, Lane 1 (Wednesday, December 12 - Morning Heats, Evening Semi-Finals)
(Thursday, December 13 - Evening Finals)
4 x 100 Free Relay (Wednesday, December 12 - Morning Heats, Evening Finals)
4 x 200 Free Relay (Thursday, December 13 - Morning Heats, Evening Finals)
50 Fly - Event 20 - Heat 9, Lane 6 (Friday, December 14 - Morning Heats, Evening Semi-Finals)
(Saturday, December 15 - Evening Finals)
200 IM - Event 23 - Heat 4, Lane 4 (Friday, December 14 - Morning Heats, Evening Finals)
100 IM - Event 30 - Heat 2, Lane 5 (Saturday, December 15 - Morning Heats, Evening Semi-Finals)
(Sunday, December 16 - Evening Finals)
200 Back - Event 35 - Heat 4, Lane 4 (Sunday, December 16 - Morning Heats, Evening Finals)
4 x 100 Medley Relay (Sunday, December 16 - Morning Heats, Evening Finals)
REVISED: Brian Pasek pointed out in the comments that Ryan is swimming the 100 IM. That's great news. I missed it when scanning the heat sheets last night.
Now I am even more convinced he will not swim in the 4 x 100 free relay. 6 individual events and 2 relays is a pretty heavy schedule.
Saturday, December 1, 2012
US Short Course Nationals - Day 2 Finals
200y Free Final - Ricky Berens beat Ryan on the turns!
100y Back Final - New American Record for Matt Grevers, beating Ryan's old AR from 2006
Friday, November 30, 2012
US Short Course Nationals - Preview of Day 2 Finals
Ryan is in the A final for the 100y back (lane 2) and the 200y free (lane 5). According to the usaswimming.org website, the timeline is as follows:
Men's 200y free - A final: 7:07 pm (CST)
Men's 100y back - A final: 7:45 pm (CST)
Lots of big names in the 100y back: Matt Grevers, Arkady Vyatchanin, Eugene Godsoe and Ryan Murphy. In the 200y free the A final has: Ricky Berens, Nikita Lobintsev and Ryan Murphy.
Watch here: USA Swimming
Don't forget to watch the highlights show on Sunday afternoon on NBC!
Men's 200y free - A final: 7:07 pm (CST)
Men's 100y back - A final: 7:45 pm (CST)
Lots of big names in the 100y back: Matt Grevers, Arkady Vyatchanin, Eugene Godsoe and Ryan Murphy. In the 200y free the A final has: Ricky Berens, Nikita Lobintsev and Ryan Murphy.
Watch here: USA Swimming
Don't forget to watch the highlights show on Sunday afternoon on NBC!
US Short Course Nationals Day 2
Here are the heat sheets for Day 2. Ryan is in Heat 7 of 7, lane 3 for the 200y free. He's in Heat 8 of 9, lane 5 for the 100y Back.
200y Free Heat Sheet - Day 2 Prelims
100y Back Heat Sheet - Day 2 Prelims
200y Free Heat Sheet - Day 2 Prelims
100y Back Heat Sheet - Day 2 Prelims
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Thursday, November 29, 2012
A video of Ryan's American Record in the 200y IM in 2007
I believe this is the first time Ryan beat Michael Phelps head-to-head and the only time he beat him until Long Course Nationals in the summer of 2010.
Let's see if he can go faster than 1:40.08 tonight.
US Short Course Nationals - Day 1
Ryan swam the 50y free and the 200y IM this morning and did really well in both:
50y Free
Ryan tied for 3rd best time in the prelims of the 50y free with a 19.51. Nathan Adrian set a meet record with an 18.82. Looks like the finals will be a dog fight between Nathan Adrian and Matt Grevers. Should be really exciting. Ryan scratched the finals and will not swim tonight. The start list for finals is here: Finals Start List 50y Free
Here are the top 8 prelim times:
1 ADRIAN Nathan - 18.82
2 GREVERS Matthew - 19.11
3 BABAEV Pavel - 19.51
3 LOCHTE Ryan -19.51
5 TARWATER Davis -19.52
6 SMALL Adam - 19.63
7 ALLEN Jakob -19.74
8 WEBERGALE Garrett - 19.79
200y IM
Ryan had the 2nd best time in the prelims of the 200y IM with a 1:44.52. I watched this race and Ryan did not take a hard stroke the final 100 yards. I think there is a chance he can come close to his American Record in this event of 1:40.08, set in November 2007. He was so disappointed when he swam that time in 2007 because he wanted to get under 1:40. He's come close before but never made it. Let's hope for tonight.
The start list for the finals is here: Finals Start List 200y IM
Here are the top 8 prelim times:
1 THOMPSON Austen - 1:44.48
2 LOCHTE Ryan -1:44.52
3 LENDRUM James-1:44.76
4 JOYE Miles - 1:44.94
5 BENTZ Gunnar -1:45.17
6 SURHOFF Austin -1:45.19
7 KALISZ Chase - 1:45.56
8 MURPHY Ryan - 1:45.62
Comparison to 2008
My very first blog entry was after the 2008 Short Course Nationals, which were in December a few months after the Beijing Olympics. Ryan swam the 50y free and the 200y IM on the first day of that meet as well. It will be interesting to compare his times in 2008 with this year's meet. I recall he swam very fast in 2008 and had only been back in the pool for less than 10 practices at the time of the meet.
Here's how he did in the finals of the 50y free and the 200y IM:
200y IM 1:40.89 - 1st place (fastest time 1:40.08 in 2007)
50y free 19.39 - 7th place (fastest time 19.22 in 2007)
50y Free
Ryan tied for 3rd best time in the prelims of the 50y free with a 19.51. Nathan Adrian set a meet record with an 18.82. Looks like the finals will be a dog fight between Nathan Adrian and Matt Grevers. Should be really exciting. Ryan scratched the finals and will not swim tonight. The start list for finals is here: Finals Start List 50y Free
Here are the top 8 prelim times:
1 ADRIAN Nathan - 18.82
2 GREVERS Matthew - 19.11
3 BABAEV Pavel - 19.51
3 LOCHTE Ryan -19.51
5 TARWATER Davis -19.52
6 SMALL Adam - 19.63
7 ALLEN Jakob -19.74
8 WEBERGALE Garrett - 19.79
200y IM
Ryan had the 2nd best time in the prelims of the 200y IM with a 1:44.52. I watched this race and Ryan did not take a hard stroke the final 100 yards. I think there is a chance he can come close to his American Record in this event of 1:40.08, set in November 2007. He was so disappointed when he swam that time in 2007 because he wanted to get under 1:40. He's come close before but never made it. Let's hope for tonight.
The start list for the finals is here: Finals Start List 200y IM
Here are the top 8 prelim times:
1 THOMPSON Austen - 1:44.48
2 LOCHTE Ryan -1:44.52
3 LENDRUM James-1:44.76
4 JOYE Miles - 1:44.94
5 BENTZ Gunnar -1:45.17
6 SURHOFF Austin -1:45.19
7 KALISZ Chase - 1:45.56
8 MURPHY Ryan - 1:45.62
Comparison to 2008
My very first blog entry was after the 2008 Short Course Nationals, which were in December a few months after the Beijing Olympics. Ryan swam the 50y free and the 200y IM on the first day of that meet as well. It will be interesting to compare his times in 2008 with this year's meet. I recall he swam very fast in 2008 and had only been back in the pool for less than 10 practices at the time of the meet.
Here's how he did in the finals of the 50y free and the 200y IM:
200y IM 1:40.89 - 1st place (fastest time 1:40.08 in 2007)
50y free 19.39 - 7th place (fastest time 19.22 in 2007)
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Don't Expect a lot at Winter Nationals (US Short Course Nationals)
If any new Ryan Lochte fans (since the 2012 London Olympics) are reading this, please do not be upset if Ryan fails win many events at Winter Nationals. In the past Nationals has served largely as a training meet for him, even though it's a big meet for most of the other swimmers.
Based on Ryan's past performances, it is unlikely he will be tapered this weekend. If he tapers at all, it will be for Short Course Worlds in Istanbul in a few weeks. Here is what happened in 2010, the last time Ryan had Nationals followed by Worlds (both being short course meets):
Short Course Nationals (Dec. 2-4, 2010)
200y IM - 1st
50y Free - 8th
200y Free - 4th
100y Back - 7th (in all fairness Ryan's feet slipped on the start and it's amazing he finished as well as he did)
200y Back - 3rd
Short Course Worlds (Dec. 15-19, 2010)
200m Free - 1st (meet record)
200m IM - 1st (world record)
200m Back - 1st (meet record)
100m IM - 1st (meet record in semi-finals)
400m IM - 1st (world record)
4 x 100m Free Relay - 4th
4 x 100m Medley Relay - 1st (meet record - Ryan swam fly)
4 x 200m Free Relay - 2nd
Ryan claimed at the time that he was 50% tapered for Worlds. He trained through Nationals and was not shaved or tapered. I would expect the same result this time, although given that the Olympics happened just a few months ago and he took a long break from swimming, Ryan is probably not training as hard now as he was in the fall of 2010. He may be a little more rested this weekend for that reason.
Based on Ryan's past performances, it is unlikely he will be tapered this weekend. If he tapers at all, it will be for Short Course Worlds in Istanbul in a few weeks. Here is what happened in 2010, the last time Ryan had Nationals followed by Worlds (both being short course meets):
Short Course Nationals (Dec. 2-4, 2010)
200y IM - 1st
50y Free - 8th
200y Free - 4th
100y Back - 7th (in all fairness Ryan's feet slipped on the start and it's amazing he finished as well as he did)
200y Back - 3rd
Short Course Worlds (Dec. 15-19, 2010)
200m Free - 1st (meet record)
200m IM - 1st (world record)
200m Back - 1st (meet record)
100m IM - 1st (meet record in semi-finals)
400m IM - 1st (world record)
4 x 100m Free Relay - 4th
4 x 100m Medley Relay - 1st (meet record - Ryan swam fly)
4 x 200m Free Relay - 2nd
Ryan claimed at the time that he was 50% tapered for Worlds. He trained through Nationals and was not shaved or tapered. I would expect the same result this time, although given that the Olympics happened just a few months ago and he took a long break from swimming, Ryan is probably not training as hard now as he was in the fall of 2010. He may be a little more rested this weekend for that reason.
Monday, November 26, 2012
2012 Short Course Nationals - This Weekend!
Swimswam.com has an article saying who will be there: swimswam.com article on 2012 Short Course Nationals/
Here is the psych sheet: 2012 Short Course Nationals Psych Sheet
Ryan's events:
Event 6 - 200y IM
Event 8 - 50y Free
Event 18 - 200y Free
Event 22 - 100y Back
Event 28 - 200y Back
Event 34 - 200y Fly
NBC will air a 1-hour highlights show on Sunday at 2 pm EST/1 pm CST. The rest can be watched at usaswimming.org.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Minnesota Grand Prix - Sunday
FINALS:
oops Ryan did scratch the 100y free, but finished 1st in both the 200y IM and 200y back!
The prelims heat sheet for Sunday is here: Sunday Prelims
Ryan isn't scratching any events today. He's in the 200y IM, 200y back and the 100y free. That's a tough lineup!
oops Ryan did scratch the 100y free, but finished 1st in both the 200y IM and 200y back!
The prelims heat sheet for Sunday is here: Sunday Prelims
Ryan isn't scratching any events today. He's in the 200y IM, 200y back and the 100y free. That's a tough lineup!
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Minnesota Grand Prix - Saturday
FINALS RESULTS:
Ryan finished 8th in the 50y free, but he swam fly instead of free. He finished 1st in the 100y back with a time of 46.21. He won by more than a second.
Ryan placed 4th in the prelims of the 50y free with a time of 20.38 and 2nd in the 100y back with a time of 48.42. Finals tonight at 6 pm CST: Saturday Finals
The prelims heat sheet is here: Saturday prelims
Ryan is in two events today, the 50 free and the 100 back. For the 50 free he is in heat 2, lane 5. For the 100 back he is in heat 8, lane 4. Prelims can be viewed here: Prelims
Ryan finished 8th in the 50y free, but he swam fly instead of free. He finished 1st in the 100y back with a time of 46.21. He won by more than a second.
Ryan placed 4th in the prelims of the 50y free with a time of 20.38 and 2nd in the 100y back with a time of 48.42. Finals tonight at 6 pm CST: Saturday Finals
The prelims heat sheet is here: Saturday prelims
Ryan is in two events today, the 50 free and the 100 back. For the 50 free he is in heat 2, lane 5. For the 100 back he is in heat 8, lane 4. Prelims can be viewed here: Prelims
Friday, November 9, 2012
Minnesota Grand Prix - Friday
FINALS RESULTS -
200y Free - 1st -1:35.15
100y Fly - 1st - 46.73
Ryan Lochte competes in the 100-yard butterfly final at the USA Grand Prix swimming event, Friday, Nov. 9, 2012, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Andy King)
Ryan placed 2nd in the prelims of the 200y free with a time of 1:37.67 and 1st in the prelims of the 100y fly with a time of 48.08. As expected he scratched the 400y IM.
Finals are tonight at 6 pm CST. Watch here: http://www.usaswimming.org/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabId=2056&Alias=Rainbow&Lang=en
Friday, November 2, 2012
It's time for a new swimming season to start! - Minnesota Grand Prix next weekend
The Minnesota GP takes place from November 9-11, 2012 at University of Minnesota. The event is short course yards, which is going to be difficult to get used to after seeing mostly 50 meter meets in 2011-2012.
Here is the psych sheet: http://www.usaswimming.org/_Rainbow/Documents/a3465818-ead4-47cf-aeed-589b7ac73eef/mn%20grand%20prix%20psych%20sheet.pdf
Ryan is entered in 11 events....which is every individual event except the 200 yard breast, the 1000 yard free and the 1650 yard free.
Event 2 - 200 yard free (Friday)
Event 4 - 100 yard breast (Friday)
Event 6 - 100 yard fly (Friday)
Event 8 - 400 yard IM (Friday)
Event 12 - 200 yard fly (Saturday)
Event 14 - 50 yard free (Saturday)
Event 16 - 100 yard back (Saturday)
Event 18 - 500 yard free (Saturday)
Event 26 - 200 yard IM (Sunday)
Event 28 - 200 yard back (Sunday)
Event 30 - 100 yard free (Sunday)
My guess is he will cut his events down to 6 or 2 per day. Will predict the 200 free & 100 fly on Friday, the 50 free and 100 back on Saturday and the 200 IM and 100 free on Sunday. Just guesses though.
In 2008 after the Olympics Ryan performed very well at the Minnesota GP and at Short Course Nationals because he was rested and had not yet begun his hard training. I think this time is different. He's been back in hard training for at least a month and he's going to be tired at this meet. We shall see!
I still want to write my thoughts on Ryan's performance at the Olympics, which I thought was disappointing. It could be that he over-trained and was tired. If that was the case, I hope he adjusts his training this time around. He definitely peaked in 2011, whereas other swimmers were able to time their peaks for 2012. Is that the result of overtraining in 2012? I don't know.
Here is the psych sheet: http://www.usaswimming.org/_Rainbow/Documents/a3465818-ead4-47cf-aeed-589b7ac73eef/mn%20grand%20prix%20psych%20sheet.pdf
Ryan is entered in 11 events....which is every individual event except the 200 yard breast, the 1000 yard free and the 1650 yard free.
Event 2 - 200 yard free (Friday)
Event 4 - 100 yard breast (Friday)
Event 6 - 100 yard fly (Friday)
Event 8 - 400 yard IM (Friday)
Event 12 - 200 yard fly (Saturday)
Event 14 - 50 yard free (Saturday)
Event 16 - 100 yard back (Saturday)
Event 18 - 500 yard free (Saturday)
Event 26 - 200 yard IM (Sunday)
Event 28 - 200 yard back (Sunday)
Event 30 - 100 yard free (Sunday)
My guess is he will cut his events down to 6 or 2 per day. Will predict the 200 free & 100 fly on Friday, the 50 free and 100 back on Saturday and the 200 IM and 100 free on Sunday. Just guesses though.
In 2008 after the Olympics Ryan performed very well at the Minnesota GP and at Short Course Nationals because he was rested and had not yet begun his hard training. I think this time is different. He's been back in hard training for at least a month and he's going to be tired at this meet. We shall see!
I still want to write my thoughts on Ryan's performance at the Olympics, which I thought was disappointing. It could be that he over-trained and was tired. If that was the case, I hope he adjusts his training this time around. He definitely peaked in 2011, whereas other swimmers were able to time their peaks for 2012. Is that the result of overtraining in 2012? I don't know.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Press Conference after the Olympics
I still want to do an assessment of each race once I have more time.
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Jimmy Feigen's Olympic Diary
http://www.mysanantonio.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=olympics&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22Texas+Longhorn+Jimmy+Feigen%22
Jimmy Feigen swam the prelims of the 4 x 100m free relay and he's one of swimming's brightest sprint stars. He wrote a daily Olympic diary for the San Antonio Express News. Read his entries at the link above. Very interesting!
Jimmy Feigen swam the prelims of the 4 x 100m free relay and he's one of swimming's brightest sprint stars. He wrote a daily Olympic diary for the San Antonio Express News. Read his entries at the link above. Very interesting!
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
It's Time to Get Serious About Professional Swimming
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=oly&id=8242190
"It is hard for swimmers, just because it's every four years and we only really get one time to shine," Phelps' American rival Ryan Lochte told The Associated Press. "(A full-time circuit) is what we need if we want to make the sport bigger than what it is or what it was."
Sunday, August 5, 2012
2012 FINA World Cup and Short Course World Championships
When might we see Ryan swim again? These short course meters events have been confirmed, and they are not that long off:
Fina World Cup - 2012 (Top prize USD $100,000)
2-3 Oct. 2012 - Dubai (UAE)
6-7 Oct. 2012 - Doha (QAT)
13-14 Oct. 2012 - Stockholm (SWE)
17-18 Oct. 2012 - Moscow (RUS)
20-21 Oct. 2012 - Berlin (GER)
2-3 Nov. 2012 - Beijing (CHN)
6-7 Nov. 2012 - Tokyo (JPN)
10-11 Nov. 2012 - Singapore (SIN)
FINA Short Course World Championships - Istanbul, Turkey
December 12-16, 2012
http://www.fina.org/H2O/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2641&Itemid=465
Fina World Cup - 2012 (Top prize USD $100,000)
2-3 Oct. 2012 - Dubai (UAE)
6-7 Oct. 2012 - Doha (QAT)
13-14 Oct. 2012 - Stockholm (SWE)
17-18 Oct. 2012 - Moscow (RUS)
20-21 Oct. 2012 - Berlin (GER)
2-3 Nov. 2012 - Beijing (CHN)
6-7 Nov. 2012 - Tokyo (JPN)
10-11 Nov. 2012 - Singapore (SIN)
FINA Short Course World Championships - Istanbul, Turkey
December 12-16, 2012
http://www.fina.org/H2O/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2641&Itemid=465
Ryan Lochte to Compete in World Cup this Fall
It's short course meters. He's going to kill it.
http://www.gatorsports.com/article/20120805/WIRE/120809779?p=1&tc=pg
For the first time, he's planning to race in the often-ignored World Cup circuit. The series of short-course meets starts in October and lasts six weeks with stops in Dubai, Doha, Stockholm, Moscow, Berlin, Beijing, Tokyo and Singapore.
"I'm going to try to go to all of them," he said at sponsor event. "I'm definitely looking forward to that."
http://www.gatorsports.com/article/20120805/WIRE/120809779?p=1&tc=pg
For the first time, he's planning to race in the often-ignored World Cup circuit. The series of short-course meets starts in October and lasts six weeks with stops in Dubai, Doha, Stockholm, Moscow, Berlin, Beijing, Tokyo and Singapore.
"I'm going to try to go to all of them," he said at sponsor event. "I'm definitely looking forward to that."
New Sports Illustrated Article About Ryan Lochte by Phil Taylor
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/olympics/2012/writers/phil_taylor/08/05/ryan-lochte-future/index.html
Interesting note to Tyler Clary: Ryan is not ready to give up the 400 IM just yet....
In light of his advancing years, he and his coach, Gregg Troy, have talked about exploring other events, perhaps dropping the 400 individual medley in favor of shorter sprints. "The 400 IM might go eventually," Lochte said, "but I told him I will stop swimming it only after someone beats me. And I haven't been beaten in the past three years."
Interesting note to Tyler Clary: Ryan is not ready to give up the 400 IM just yet....
In light of his advancing years, he and his coach, Gregg Troy, have talked about exploring other events, perhaps dropping the 400 individual medley in favor of shorter sprints. "The 400 IM might go eventually," Lochte said, "but I told him I will stop swimming it only after someone beats me. And I haven't been beaten in the past three years."
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Friday, August 3, 2012
As usual, Karen Crouse of the New York Times gets the story
http://london2012.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/03/lochte-caught-in-wake-of-schedule-and-expectations/?smid=tw-share
When trying to assess Lochte’s struggles here, the schedule is a good place to start. The world championships proved to Lochte that he could contend with the best swimmers in the world when the events were aligned right, which they were not here.
Everyone Should Read Cap and Goggles by Casey Barrett
Casey Barrett has quickly become my favorite swimming writer. He's an Olympic swimmer himself and every column he writes is so good, so insightful.
His columns can be found at capandgoggles.com. If you read one column, you won't be able to stop until you've read them all.
Read his take on Ryan Lochte's 2012 Olympics, The Art of Mojo, here:
http://capandgoggles.com/2012/08/03/the-art-of-mojo/
My favorite excerpts:
The harsh swing from aqua god to relay goat clearly took its toll on Lochte. This is a champion who thrives on swagger, who’s always been having too much fun to be intimidated. But now the My Time script had changed and doubt descended.
His columns can be found at capandgoggles.com. If you read one column, you won't be able to stop until you've read them all.
Read his take on Ryan Lochte's 2012 Olympics, The Art of Mojo, here:
http://capandgoggles.com/2012/08/03/the-art-of-mojo/
My favorite excerpts:
The harsh swing from aqua god to relay goat clearly took its toll on Lochte. This is a champion who thrives on swagger, who’s always been having too much fun to be intimidated. But now the My Time script had changed and doubt descended.
*****
It’s a testament to Lochte’s awesome talent and ambitions that we watched these races with a sense of tragic disbelief. The guy was completing the second hardest Olympic program ever attempted. He won a bronze and a silver in his 12th and 13th swims of his Olympic campaign. These two medals brought him into a three way tie with Mark Spitz and Matt Biondi as America’s second most decorated male Olympic swimmers. Yes, Phelps has double the medals than the next guy, but Lochte has put himself in all-time company.
But he lost two races back to back that he was in shape to win. No disrespect to Tyler Clary, he swam an incredible fearless race and certainly put in the work to become a worthy Olympic champion. (Just ask him how much harder he worked than Phelps!) Yet, Lochte is the superior backstroker. He should not have lost that one.
When he marched out for the 200 IM 39 minutes later, you could see it in his face. Good ‘ol relaxed what-me-worry Ryan Lochte was not around. In his place was a shaken swimmer. The late money at the betting windows was pouring in on Phelps. This one was effectively over halfway through the backstroke leg. To beat Phelps, on any day, there can be no weakness.
*****
Twitter, in all its brainless mob mentality, is already jumping on the Lochte-was-overrated bandwagon. He wasn’t. He is every bit as good as advertised, and he leaves these Games with five medals, two of them gold, tied with past icons with the second greatest medal haul in U.S. Olympic history. But we all know the story is going to be: what went wrong?
Ryan Lochte in the News
Today Show appearance here: http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/48480570#48480570
MSNBC:
Memorable Moments - Day 6
I love this quote from Pat Forde:
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/olympics--michael-phelps-and-ryan-lochte-may-not-have-had-a-perfect-games--but-their-accomplishments-are-second-to-none-20120803.html
The vast majority of the swimming world is composed of specialists: a single stroke, or a penchant for distance or sprints. Very few swimmers are good enough to do a variety of strokes, and very few have the stamina to excel in multiple events against elite international competition.
And this quote from the Miami Herald:
http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/08/02/2928789/michael-phelps-ryan-lochte-raised.html
MSNBC:
Memorable Moments - Day 6
I love this quote from Pat Forde:
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/olympics--michael-phelps-and-ryan-lochte-may-not-have-had-a-perfect-games--but-their-accomplishments-are-second-to-none-20120803.html
The vast majority of the swimming world is composed of specialists: a single stroke, or a penchant for distance or sprints. Very few swimmers are good enough to do a variety of strokes, and very few have the stamina to excel in multiple events against elite international competition.
And this quote from the Miami Herald:
http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/08/02/2928789/michael-phelps-ryan-lochte-raised.html
But it was the last of the Lochte-Phelps rivalry. Two once-in-a-lifetime swimmers in the same pool lifted each other and their sport. Phelps might have taken a permanent break after Beijing if not for the challenge Lochte presented. Lochte might never have raised his goals and lowered his times without Phelps in the lane next to him.
Lochte learned it takes a certain fortitude not to let down over the course of a week of high scrutiny and intensity, hitting you like a series of jabs in the morning heats and again at night.
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Ryan Lochte wins Bronze in 200m Back and Silver in 200m IM
The meet didn't finish the way Ryan hoped, but he won medals in both of his final events - Bronze in the 200m back and Silver in the 200m IM. I will post more thoughts after watching the NBC broadcast.
Here is an article by Beth Harris of AP with post-race comments from Ryan and his coach Gregg Troy:
http://www.mercurynews.com/sports-headlines/ci_21221195/lochte-ends-olympics-pretty-satisfied
Here is another article, by Wayne Drehs of ESPN:
http://espn.go.com/olympics/summer/2012/swimming/story/_/id/8228171/2012-olympics-ryan-lochte-world-reminded-yet-again-phelps-greatness
Another article by Amy Shipley of the Washington Post:
http://reachforthewall.com/2012/08/02/ryan-lochte-has-five-medals-and-unfulfilled-expectations/
Bronze in the 200m back (Gold to Tyler Clary and Silver to Ryosuke Irie) I've enjoyed watching Tyler Clary's progress over the last four years. Congrats to him on winning the Gold.
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Silver in the 200m IM (Gold to Michael Phelps and Bronze to Lazslo Cseh) Congrats to Michael Phelps for winning the Gold. I'm happy for Cseh that he didn't walk away empty handed.
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Here is an article by Beth Harris of AP with post-race comments from Ryan and his coach Gregg Troy:
http://www.mercurynews.com/sports-headlines/ci_21221195/lochte-ends-olympics-pretty-satisfied
Here is another article, by Wayne Drehs of ESPN:
http://espn.go.com/olympics/summer/2012/swimming/story/_/id/8228171/2012-olympics-ryan-lochte-world-reminded-yet-again-phelps-greatness
Another article by Amy Shipley of the Washington Post:
http://reachforthewall.com/2012/08/02/ryan-lochte-has-five-medals-and-unfulfilled-expectations/
Bronze in the 200m back (Gold to Tyler Clary and Silver to Ryosuke Irie) I've enjoyed watching Tyler Clary's progress over the last four years. Congrats to him on winning the Gold.
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Silver in the 200m IM (Gold to Michael Phelps and Bronze to Lazslo Cseh) Congrats to Michael Phelps for winning the Gold. I'm happy for Cseh that he didn't walk away empty handed.
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Ryan Lochte's Epic Double is Today! 200 back & 200 IM
Read about it on sportsillustrated.com:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/olympics/2012/writers/ann_killion/08/01/michael-phelps-ryan-lochte/index.html?eref=sihp&sct=hp_t12_a0
Ryan has been training for this double for at least six years, maybe longer. I think he can win both. It's certainly not going to be easy, but I think he can do it.
I love this picture:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/olympics/2012/writers/ann_killion/08/01/michael-phelps-ryan-lochte/index.html?eref=sihp&sct=hp_t12_a0
Ryan has been training for this double for at least six years, maybe longer. I think he can win both. It's certainly not going to be easy, but I think he can do it.
I love this picture:
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
200m Back and 200m IM Double - Semis on Wednesday
Ryan has been training for this double for at least six years. I cannot wait to see how these events play out!
I love this analysis of who will win the 200 IM, Ryan or Michael Phelps. http://swimswam.com/2012/08/nerding-out-who-will-win-the-200-im-phelps-or-lochte/
Conclusion: “Lochte has 200 Back.”
Here's a video of Ryan Lochte's father talking about the 200 back/200 IM double. Kind of odd how the video cuts off mid sentence!
I love this analysis of who will win the 200 IM, Ryan or Michael Phelps. http://swimswam.com/2012/08/nerding-out-who-will-win-the-200-im-phelps-or-lochte/
Conclusion: “Lochte has 200 Back.”
“Advantage Phelps.”
BUT
“Lochte is an animal.”
SO ULTIMATELY
“Advantage Lochte.”
Here's a video of Ryan Lochte's father talking about the 200 back/200 IM double. Kind of odd how the video cuts off mid sentence!
US Wins 4 x 200m Free Relay - Lochte leads off
Ryan Lochte, Conor Dwyer, Ricky Berens and Michael Phelps combined to win the 4 x 200m free relay. The splits were as follows:
In Summary: US splits : Lochte 1:45.15; Dwyer 1:45.23, Berens 1:45.27, Phelps 1:44.05.#SwimLympics
— SwimSwam (@swimswamnews) July 31, 2012
Ryan led off the relay and Michael Phelps swam anchor, the first time I can remember them taking on those roles. I would have liked to see Ryan swim anchor and hold off Agnel, because I believe that would have been a great confidence boost for him. Regardless, winning the gold by so much and doing so well seems to have done the trick.
Ryan has his toughest days of the meet coming up on Wednesday and Thursday with the 200m back and 200m IM double. Everyone will forget about the 200 free if he can pull off the double. I have been waiting so long for Thursday and can't believe it is almost here.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Mike Gustafson on the 400 free relay
Click on the link and read the whole article. Here is a taste:
http://usaswimming.org/ViewNewsArticle.aspx?TabId=0&itemid=4626&mid=8712
BY MIKE GUSTAFSON//CORRESPONDENT
Hey America, an Olympic silver medal is actually awesome.
Last night, when Ryan Lochte was passed by France’s Yannick Agnel in the final length of the men’s 400 freestyle relay, it wasn’t because Lochte had choked. Nor was it because Lochte swam poorly, missed a wall, inhaled water, forgot to warm up, hit the lane line, cramped, was thinking of a failed math test from 3rd grade, or stopped trying. Yannick Agnel was just that fast. You too would get passed against someone swimming a 46.7. Even Phelps. Even Adrian. Yannick Agnel swam a superb time when the time was right, and Ryan Lochte happened to be the unlucky one swimming in the lane next to him.
Last night, when Ryan Lochte was passed by France’s Yannick Agnel in the final length of the men’s 400 freestyle relay, it wasn’t because Lochte had choked. Nor was it because Lochte swam poorly, missed a wall, inhaled water, forgot to warm up, hit the lane line, cramped, was thinking of a failed math test from 3rd grade, or stopped trying. Yannick Agnel was just that fast. You too would get passed against someone swimming a 46.7. Even Phelps. Even Adrian. Yannick Agnel swam a superb time when the time was right, and Ryan Lochte happened to be the unlucky one swimming in the lane next to him.
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