Press Conference after the Olympics

I still want to do an assessment of each race once I have more time.

Ryan in the Mixed Zone after the 400 IM Gold

Lochte OS-guld from Sveriges Television on Vimeo.

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!

Ryan Lochte - Funny or Die Video

http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/bbf2c287fe/peeing-in-pools-with-ryan-lochte hysterical

Peeing in Pools with Ryan Lochte from Ryan Lochte      

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."

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

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."

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."

Ryan Lochte on Ryan Seacrest

Ryan Lochte's interview with Bob Costas

http://www.nbcolympics.com/news-blogs/swimming/ryan-lochte-finishes-london-olympics-with-five-medals-success-or-failure.html

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.

SwimmingWorld Magazine Analysis of Phelps-Lochte & Day 6

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.

*****

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

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.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/08/02/2928789/michael-phelps-ryan-lochte-raised.html#storylink=cpy

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.

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.

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:

Oh No, Sports Illustrated Cover Jinx?

Fox Sports on 200 IM/200 back

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.”

“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.