azcentral sportsFri Apr 12, 2013 10:35 PM
It’s unlikely the new reality show “What Would Ryan Lochte Do?” will answer the bigger question of who Lochte really is.
A swimming hunk to be admired for his body — and the 11 Olympic medals it’s brought him — and not his brain? Or someone shrewd enough to play along with his media image all the way to the bank?
Anthony Ervin, who at 31 is three years older than Lochte and has seen it all during his swim career, believes the real Ryan is a better actor than people realize.
“He enjoys the misrepresentation he has in the media of being somewhat of a clown,” Ervin said Friday at the Arena Grand Prix in Mesa. “He’s just going to go with it and wring it out and make use of it. Hence the reality show.”
Caitlin Leverenz, the 200-meter bronze medalist in the 2012 Olympics, agrees with Ervin’s assessment. “Ryan is an intelligent person,” the Tucson resident said, “but doesn’t always come across that way. There is more to Ryan than meets the eye.”
WWRLD debuts April 21 on E! network, where promos show him playing shirtless football, drunk golf and bowling; naturally looking for love; and just as naturally interacting with his family including his mother Ike, who made a name for herself last summer by publicly talking about Ryan’s dating habits.
No wonder, then, that there is some trepidation within the sport about potential fallout from the eight episodes ahead. But Frank Busch, USA Swimming National team director, isn’t worried.
“Reality TV is what this generation kind of lives on,” Busch said. “How could you ever take someone like Ryan or any of the athletes that have worked so hard for so long for something and have an opportunity to be a part of something they never dreamed they could. I think it says a lot about our sport. The stars of our sport have been elevated to a place where the average American knows their name. I’m all for it.”
Even Lochte doesn’t know what to expect because he is without any creative control.
“I just know I was a part of all of it,” he said. “Any time you have something big like this, you’re going to have a little anxiety. I’m not really nervous for it just because I’ve worked with the whole E! network. The producers became like part of my family. I know they’ll have my back. I told them the expectations that I’m looking for. We’ll see what happens.”
Some of WWRLD was filmed at the Grand Prix in Orlando in February, but it was in the can before he arrived here. Conor Dwyer, who trains with Lochte under coach Gregg Troy in Gainesville, Fla., has been along for the ride for four years including at the London Olympics where they roomed together across from Big Ben for a week.
“He’s just a laid back guy that likes to have fun and swim as his profession,” Dwyer said. “Reality TV can make you look like someone you’re not so I’m not too sure how they’re going to make him look. I know he’s a good guy at heart. He doesn’t really care what other people think. That’s what I like about Ryan.
“We get serious when we have to, but you should enjoy life as it comes and not be too serious about everything.”
Maybe that’s the warning label that should be included at the start of each WWRLD episode especially for the legion of young Lochte fans, mostly girls, like those who are hanging on his every move at the Skyline Aquatic Center. Lochte is the face of the sport now that Michael Phelps has retired and ultimately his legacy hinges not on WWRLD but on earning at least two more Olympic medals to break into the exclusive 13-and-above category reached by only six others, Summer or Winter Games. Phelps is safely in first all-time with 22 medals and 18 golds.
“There’s no doubt in my mind when it’s time to step up, I know when to do that,” said Lochte, who was fifth in the 200 backstroke and sixth in the 200 freestyle Friday night after finishing ninth (first in the B final) in two events Thursday. “I know what to do and when to do it. This meet is just about racing. I haven’t really done that at all this year. I’ve been doing everything else but swimming.”
Even if Lochte is less than prepared for major meets this year, Troy certainly will have him in shape for a full-scale run at the 2016 Olympics. And if he’s still single then, get ready for WWRLD Rio.
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