So filming the reality show IS interfering with Ryan's swimming

http://espn.go.com/olympics/swimming/story/_/id/8955451/ryan-lochte-missy-franklin-win-events-arena-grand-prix

http://swimswam.com/lochte-says-reality-show-will-impede-practice-for-8-weeks/

From the ESPN article and Swimswam.com video linked above:

"One thing I can take from this meet is I need to be in the water on a consistent basis," said Lochte, whose show, "What Would Ryan Lochte do," will debut in April on E! Entertainment Television. "Shooting this show, which I love doing -- it's good for the sport -- but I didn't realize they'd be pulling me in different directions all the time, and I haven't really been consistent in the pool."

About the 200 back.....

"What didn't go wrong?" Lochte said. "Off the start, my hands weren't together, I was diving in like an age-grouper, my kick-outs weren't good at all, my strokes were just choppy, I didn't build into each roll, wasn't finishing my kick-out stroke. I don't even know what happened in freestyle."

Gregg Troy isn't happy.....

He estimates he is making about half of his regularly scheduled practices, drawing the ire of coach Gregg Troy.

"Gregg hates it," Lochte said with a grin. "He calls me, yelling at me all the time, threatening to kick me off the team and go somewhere else. I'm like, look, this is for me, just stick with me for eight weeks until we're done shooting this show and then I'll get back into it."

None of this is surprising, and while Ryan's reasons for doing the show (to bring more focus on swimming) are laudable, I hope there's time to fix it before U.S. Nationals in July.  In the big scheme of things, with the prize being the Olympics in 2016, this year doesn't matter.  Still, preparing for the Olympics is a tricky business.  In the lead-up to London, Ryan seemed to peak in 2011 at the World Championships in Shanghai and not in 2012.  The Olympics are a four-year process a bad 2013 could hurt in the long run.  We shall see.

Despite the negative view a lot of people have about reality shows, they are popular.  If done right, the show could make swimming more popular.  It will be very interesting, though, to see how it affects Ryan's swimming.  If he has a bad 2013, will he still be as popular?