Best Interview Ever

Fitting that this is my 100th post on this blog. Gold Medal Mel posted an excellent interview with Ryan on swimnetwork.com. I can't get the video to embed, but here's the url: http://www.swimnetwork.com/videos/v/20090506/gold_medal_minute__ryan_lochte-16511.html

In the interview Ryan says some very interesting things about swimming and Beijing. First, he said his best time in a 50m kick is 22 seconds. I remembered Cullen Jones talking about it at the Olympics. It's in the floswimming.org interview below starting at about 50 seconds. Given that the world record in the 50m free is (arguably) 20.94, 22 seconds just kicking on his back is an amazing 50m time.



Next, Mel asked Ryan about a time trial he swam at the Olympics the day after the 400m IM finals. During this time Ryan was sick because he brushed his teeth with tap water. Despite his illness, Ryan was asked to swim a 100m free time trial to see if he would be put on the 4 x 100 free relay. He swam a 48.4 or 48.5, which was faster than the 48.65 he swam in the semi-finals at the Olympic trials.

I looked up the times in the prelims for the 4 x 100 free relay. Here they are:

Nathan Adrian - 48.82
Cullen Jones - 47.61
Ben Wildman-Tobriner - 48.03
Matt Grevers - 47.77

Ryan's 100m free time trial was faster than the time Nathan Adrian ultimately posted in the prelims. It's too bad Ryan was sick. He may have been selected for this relay and won another gold medal.

Regarding the 200 back, Ryan said he was disappointed in his time even though it was a world record and he won the gold medal. Ryan believes he could have gone 1:52 or 1:51 had he not been sick. That's amazing.

I can't wait for the U.S. nationals to see what Ryan can do.