Showing posts with label Duel 2011. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Duel 2011. Show all posts
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Great article about Ryan Lochte by Jan Engel
By Jen Engel
http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/lochte_ready_for_his_own_olympic_glory/8791672?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
No one gets in the face of sports greatness anymore, pokes it in the chest and says "I am coming for you." It's too hard. It's too scary and it is so much easier to say appropriately deferential things before and lose graciously and hug afterward.
Well almost no one, I should say. A few still dare to tug on Superman's cape.
Which is why in December, in the meat of the NFL season, I am in Atlanta. I am here to watch the most interesting man in the swimming world. At least he is to me. This disclaimer is necessary because I am not talking about Michael Phelps, the most accomplished man in swimming, the biggest name and quite possibly still the greatest swimmer going at the moment.
But Phelps is not in Atlanta. There are theories as to why he has been a little reclusive on the pre-2012 London Olympic slate, but really, there's just one reason. And his name is Ryan Lochte. And he is why I am in Atlanta in the middle of football season.
So most of you are having one of these three reactions:
1. Can you believe what Lochte did in Shanghai at the World Championships?
2. Lochte is a swimmer, right?
3. Who in the hell is Ryan Lochte? And why is this chick writing about him during football season?
For those in Groups 2 and 3, Lochte is kind of like Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers. He is in the midst of this amazing run. Nobody is playing any better, but all anybody can talk about is Tim Tebow. Just sub in swimming for playing and Phelps for Tebow and this is Lochte's life. Nobody is performing any better and still his professional life is in marked by contrasts to his frenemisis.
What if Phelps were here?
Can you beat Phelps?
Phelps, Phelps, Phelps, Phelps, Phelps.
"All I can say is it's my time," Lochte said to a small group of reporters at The Duel in the Pool late Friday.
This says a lot, actually. He is for sure tugging on Superman's cape. Because one theory is Phelps was so annoyed and angry after Lochte kind of, sort of totally kicked his butt and rubbed his face in it in Shanghai that he has sequestered himself at Phelps HQ devising a plan on how to make Lochte pay. In fact, a BBC radio reporter in from London asked this very question. There is something about the British accent, especially on a male, that allows them to say almost anything and it not sound antagonistic. So when he proposed the angry Phelps revenge scenario it brought a smile to Lochte's face.
"I hope so," Lochte said, a little devilishly.
"I know he wasn't happy after Shanghai. So I know he's in the pool training hard and that's a little motivation for me," he continued. "I have to train even harder. I have to find different ways to get faster. I know he's training his butt off and I got to do the same."
My first thought is hell yeah. My second? It's about time.
Four years ago in Beijing, the whole USA Swimming contingent seemed to be a Phelps entourage. This wasn't all their fault. They would get out of the pool, male or female, win or lose, world record or gold medal, it did not matter. We'd ask them about Phelps -- his fatigue level, what he ate for breakfast, what being a part of his Olympics was like. I know. I was there. What he did four years ago in Beijing, winning a record eight gold medals at the 2008 Olympics, is the most amazing sporting achievement I have ever witnessed live. I can still see Jason Lezak coming back in that relay to preserve eight for him.
As good as Phelps is for swimming, the sport needs Lochte.
Beijing was spectacular for this very Hemmingway man-vs.-himself battle that Phelps had going on. The best of sport, though, is when the competition comes from another. And Phelps-Lochte is shaping up to be the best showdown in London. This time around there will be two people in the pool that good, two people with goals.
"There is no way around it. The big talk of 2012 is going to be me and Michael," Lochte said. "I put myself in that kind of position where I've gotten a lot faster since 2008 and I'm able to race the world's greatest swimmer and it's an honor to be racing against him and being on the same team and same pool as him. … Hands down, and I'll say this over and over and over, Michael Phelps is the world's greatest swimmer."
And while Lochte did not go there, saying instead he'd "leave that up to you guys," this adage is most definitely true. If Lochte somehow brings down Phelps in London, he will be the best. He was not ready in Beijing, not really ready. And he might not be this time either. He said he cleaned up stuff in his personal life, some issues that were stressing him. It sounded very much like girl trouble, but it is not really any of our business. What is our business is if he can do what nobody seems to do well in sports anymore -- take on a phenomenon and win.
"A lot of people say that after the last two to three years what I have accomplished ... people say I am the new Michael," Lochte said. "For me, it goes through one ear and out the other.
"For me, as far as I'm concerned, last year never happened. I mean, I'm over it. As far as I'm concerned, I'm at the bottom."
The truth is Lochte probably does not have a good chance now. Phelps is the greatest swimmer ever and now, after Shanghai, he is probably training like Rocky in Rocky 4, in some barn in Russia while running with rocks up a mountain. This is why this idea they are somehow BFFs is preposterous. There is some good sports animosity here. You get in a pool to race at this level without the desire to win crawling under your skin, the thought of finishing second even to a friend churning your insides around. I wouldn't respect either if it was any other way.
There is a difference between being a good sport and a good loser.
And there is a difference between being part of the entourage and being the competition.
Because in a parallel universe, Lochte is the guy we are talking about Tebow-style. He is talented, good looking, laid back, a dream pitch man. But much like playing ball in the era of Jordan or excelling in the NFL right now during Tebowmania, it is easy to get lost battling a phenomenon.
And this is why I am in Atlanta, because the most interesting man in swimming is the guy who thinks he can take it on and win.
http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/lochte_ready_for_his_own_olympic_glory/8791672?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
No one gets in the face of sports greatness anymore, pokes it in the chest and says "I am coming for you." It's too hard. It's too scary and it is so much easier to say appropriately deferential things before and lose graciously and hug afterward.
Well almost no one, I should say. A few still dare to tug on Superman's cape.
Which is why in December, in the meat of the NFL season, I am in Atlanta. I am here to watch the most interesting man in the swimming world. At least he is to me. This disclaimer is necessary because I am not talking about Michael Phelps, the most accomplished man in swimming, the biggest name and quite possibly still the greatest swimmer going at the moment.
But Phelps is not in Atlanta. There are theories as to why he has been a little reclusive on the pre-2012 London Olympic slate, but really, there's just one reason. And his name is Ryan Lochte. And he is why I am in Atlanta in the middle of football season.
So most of you are having one of these three reactions:
1. Can you believe what Lochte did in Shanghai at the World Championships?
2. Lochte is a swimmer, right?
3. Who in the hell is Ryan Lochte? And why is this chick writing about him during football season?
For those in Groups 2 and 3, Lochte is kind of like Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers. He is in the midst of this amazing run. Nobody is playing any better, but all anybody can talk about is Tim Tebow. Just sub in swimming for playing and Phelps for Tebow and this is Lochte's life. Nobody is performing any better and still his professional life is in marked by contrasts to his frenemisis.
What if Phelps were here?
Can you beat Phelps?
Phelps, Phelps, Phelps, Phelps, Phelps.
"All I can say is it's my time," Lochte said to a small group of reporters at The Duel in the Pool late Friday.
This says a lot, actually. He is for sure tugging on Superman's cape. Because one theory is Phelps was so annoyed and angry after Lochte kind of, sort of totally kicked his butt and rubbed his face in it in Shanghai that he has sequestered himself at Phelps HQ devising a plan on how to make Lochte pay. In fact, a BBC radio reporter in from London asked this very question. There is something about the British accent, especially on a male, that allows them to say almost anything and it not sound antagonistic. So when he proposed the angry Phelps revenge scenario it brought a smile to Lochte's face.
"I hope so," Lochte said, a little devilishly.
"I know he wasn't happy after Shanghai. So I know he's in the pool training hard and that's a little motivation for me," he continued. "I have to train even harder. I have to find different ways to get faster. I know he's training his butt off and I got to do the same."
My first thought is hell yeah. My second? It's about time.
Four years ago in Beijing, the whole USA Swimming contingent seemed to be a Phelps entourage. This wasn't all their fault. They would get out of the pool, male or female, win or lose, world record or gold medal, it did not matter. We'd ask them about Phelps -- his fatigue level, what he ate for breakfast, what being a part of his Olympics was like. I know. I was there. What he did four years ago in Beijing, winning a record eight gold medals at the 2008 Olympics, is the most amazing sporting achievement I have ever witnessed live. I can still see Jason Lezak coming back in that relay to preserve eight for him.
As good as Phelps is for swimming, the sport needs Lochte.
Beijing was spectacular for this very Hemmingway man-vs.-himself battle that Phelps had going on. The best of sport, though, is when the competition comes from another. And Phelps-Lochte is shaping up to be the best showdown in London. This time around there will be two people in the pool that good, two people with goals.
"There is no way around it. The big talk of 2012 is going to be me and Michael," Lochte said. "I put myself in that kind of position where I've gotten a lot faster since 2008 and I'm able to race the world's greatest swimmer and it's an honor to be racing against him and being on the same team and same pool as him. … Hands down, and I'll say this over and over and over, Michael Phelps is the world's greatest swimmer."
And while Lochte did not go there, saying instead he'd "leave that up to you guys," this adage is most definitely true. If Lochte somehow brings down Phelps in London, he will be the best. He was not ready in Beijing, not really ready. And he might not be this time either. He said he cleaned up stuff in his personal life, some issues that were stressing him. It sounded very much like girl trouble, but it is not really any of our business. What is our business is if he can do what nobody seems to do well in sports anymore -- take on a phenomenon and win.
"A lot of people say that after the last two to three years what I have accomplished ... people say I am the new Michael," Lochte said. "For me, it goes through one ear and out the other.
"For me, as far as I'm concerned, last year never happened. I mean, I'm over it. As far as I'm concerned, I'm at the bottom."
The truth is Lochte probably does not have a good chance now. Phelps is the greatest swimmer ever and now, after Shanghai, he is probably training like Rocky in Rocky 4, in some barn in Russia while running with rocks up a mountain. This is why this idea they are somehow BFFs is preposterous. There is some good sports animosity here. You get in a pool to race at this level without the desire to win crawling under your skin, the thought of finishing second even to a friend churning your insides around. I wouldn't respect either if it was any other way.
There is a difference between being a good sport and a good loser.
And there is a difference between being part of the entourage and being the competition.
Because in a parallel universe, Lochte is the guy we are talking about Tebow-style. He is talented, good looking, laid back, a dream pitch man. But much like playing ball in the era of Jordan or excelling in the NFL right now during Tebowmania, it is easy to get lost battling a phenomenon.
And this is why I am in Atlanta, because the most interesting man in swimming is the guy who thinks he can take it on and win.
Friday, December 16, 2011
Ryan wins the 400m IM and the 200m back at Duel in the Pool
What an impressive double, especially unrested. Enjoy.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
More Duel in the Pool
From Mike Gustafson at USASwimming.org: http://www.usaswimming.org/ViewNewsArticle.aspx?TabId=0&Alias=Rainbow&Lang=en&ItemId=4027&mid=9874
4. Will Ryan Lochte Rest?
If I held a magic 8-ball and asked him this question, my guess is the response would be, “All sources point to no.” Ryan Lochte is the best swimmer in the world, no doubts about it. But a few weeks ago at the AT&T Winter National Championships, Lochte looked awfully tired. You can bet Lochte’s coach Greg Troy is working Lochte like a dog, preparing him for the Olympic Trials. Still, the Duel in the Pool will have some significant media coverage and will be broadcast live on TV. Will Lochte rest? Or even skip a morning workout for a day? Or will he get beat in International competition, and then have to answer a barrage of questions like: “Ryan! Are you worried! Did something happen! Are you hurt!” No. He’s training for the Olympics.
4. Will Ryan Lochte Rest?
If I held a magic 8-ball and asked him this question, my guess is the response would be, “All sources point to no.” Ryan Lochte is the best swimmer in the world, no doubts about it. But a few weeks ago at the AT&T Winter National Championships, Lochte looked awfully tired. You can bet Lochte’s coach Greg Troy is working Lochte like a dog, preparing him for the Olympic Trials. Still, the Duel in the Pool will have some significant media coverage and will be broadcast live on TV. Will Lochte rest? Or even skip a morning workout for a day? Or will he get beat in International competition, and then have to answer a barrage of questions like: “Ryan! Are you worried! Did something happen! Are you hurt!” No. He’s training for the Olympics.
AP/Sports Illustrated Article on Duel in the Pool
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/more/12/15/Duel-in-the-Pool.ap/index.html
ATLANTA (AP) -- Duel in the Pool? More like Slaughter in the Water.
The United States hasn't come close to losing one of these every-other-year dual meets since they were launched in 2003 as a way to build interest in swimming during non-Olympic years.
Even with Michael Phelps back home in Baltimore, focusing on training for next summer's London Games, Brendan Hansen doesn't expect anything to change when the powerful Americans take on a European all-star team Friday and Saturday at the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center.
"It's hard for me to believe we can lose the way this team feeds off each other," Hansen said after a practice session Thursday morning at the same pool that hosted the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. "When we start rolling at a meet like this, it's a slippery slope. The meet is over a lot sooner than you think, then we're just racing each other."
USA Swimming has assembled a daunting group that features Ryan Lochte - the star of this year's world championships - along with Olympic gold medalists Hansen, Natalie Coughlin, Rebecca Soni, Dana Vollmer and Amanda Beard. The next wave of American stars is led by 16-year-old Missy Franklin, who captured three golds and five medals overall at worlds.
"You need those people who've been to the Olympics, who've been on the podium," Coughlin said. "But you also need those youngsters, who are so excited just to be there."
The Europeans faced a challenge assembling a competitive team, given all the politics and differing objectives of the various national federations. Germany and Russia contributed only one swimmer apiece, and the powerhouse French squad isn't participating at all.
Still, there's quite a mix - 41 swimmers from 18 nations, including world champions Daniel Gyurta of Hungary and Lotte Friis and Jeanette Ottesen of Denmark.
"Try having a team meeting," quipped Markus Rogan, a two-time Olympian from Austria. "It's very interesting, communications-wise."
The Americans easily beat Australia at the first three duels, then routed a European team 185-78 two years ago.
"Even though we don't even know everybody's name, we all have a common goal," Rogan said. "Everybody wants to beat the Americans."
British star Gemma Spofforth predicts the score will be a lot tighter than past years, since so many of her teammates are coming off the European short-course championships. The same format will be used at Georgia Tech, where a giant grandstand has been erected over the half of the full-length pool that won't be used.
"It looks like a lot of the Europeans are in top shape and ready to go fast," she said. "I think it's going to be very, very close. Someone who finishes third or fourth could make the difference."
By comparison, most of the Americans are in the midst of rigorous training regimens, so they won't be in their best racing form. Lochte swam a staggering 6,000 meters during his practice session Thursday - a routine that is geared toward having him in top form for London, not Atlanta.
"I don't know what to expect," he said. "But it's a great opportunity to race, no matter what condition I'm in."
Phelps passed on the chance to race in Atlanta. His coach, Bob Bowman, said the 14-time Olympic gold medalist was best served finishing out the year training at home and taking part in one local meet, given a busy fall schedule that included two European meets and high-altitude training in Colorado.
At worlds, Lochte surpassed Phelps as the world's most dominant swimmer, beating his fellow American in their two head-to-head races. But, much like any golf tournament that doesn't include Tiger Woods, the absence of Phelps takes some of the luster off this meet.
"I would like for him to be here, to be with the team," Hansen said. "There's a lot of things he can do to help the team. I'm not talking about when he's on the blocks, but the things he can do just being part of a dual meet. He didn't go to college. I would think he would want to be part of as many dual meets as he could."
Lochte, too, wishes Phelps had decided to compete in Atlanta. Even though they would've been racing for the same team, it would've been another chance to set the table for their expected Olympic showdown in London, likely to be one of the biggest story lines of the 2012 Games.
But Lochte can't concern himself with Phelps' schedule. There's plenty of work to do between now and the Olympics.
"Obviously, I hope everyone will start talking about me," Lochte said. "But it's too early to tell. We've still got six or seven months until the games."
Spofforth, who trains with Lochte, predicts he'll be the biggest swimming star in London - not just because of his steely focus in the water, but the carefree way he carries himself on dry land.
"Everyone wants to be like Ryan," Spofforth said. "I believe he's got that edge. And there's just something about him that makes everyone like him."
ATLANTA (AP) -- Duel in the Pool? More like Slaughter in the Water.
The United States hasn't come close to losing one of these every-other-year dual meets since they were launched in 2003 as a way to build interest in swimming during non-Olympic years.
Even with Michael Phelps back home in Baltimore, focusing on training for next summer's London Games, Brendan Hansen doesn't expect anything to change when the powerful Americans take on a European all-star team Friday and Saturday at the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center.
"It's hard for me to believe we can lose the way this team feeds off each other," Hansen said after a practice session Thursday morning at the same pool that hosted the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. "When we start rolling at a meet like this, it's a slippery slope. The meet is over a lot sooner than you think, then we're just racing each other."
USA Swimming has assembled a daunting group that features Ryan Lochte - the star of this year's world championships - along with Olympic gold medalists Hansen, Natalie Coughlin, Rebecca Soni, Dana Vollmer and Amanda Beard. The next wave of American stars is led by 16-year-old Missy Franklin, who captured three golds and five medals overall at worlds.
"You need those people who've been to the Olympics, who've been on the podium," Coughlin said. "But you also need those youngsters, who are so excited just to be there."
The Europeans faced a challenge assembling a competitive team, given all the politics and differing objectives of the various national federations. Germany and Russia contributed only one swimmer apiece, and the powerhouse French squad isn't participating at all.
Still, there's quite a mix - 41 swimmers from 18 nations, including world champions Daniel Gyurta of Hungary and Lotte Friis and Jeanette Ottesen of Denmark.
"Try having a team meeting," quipped Markus Rogan, a two-time Olympian from Austria. "It's very interesting, communications-wise."
The Americans easily beat Australia at the first three duels, then routed a European team 185-78 two years ago.
"Even though we don't even know everybody's name, we all have a common goal," Rogan said. "Everybody wants to beat the Americans."
British star Gemma Spofforth predicts the score will be a lot tighter than past years, since so many of her teammates are coming off the European short-course championships. The same format will be used at Georgia Tech, where a giant grandstand has been erected over the half of the full-length pool that won't be used.
"It looks like a lot of the Europeans are in top shape and ready to go fast," she said. "I think it's going to be very, very close. Someone who finishes third or fourth could make the difference."
By comparison, most of the Americans are in the midst of rigorous training regimens, so they won't be in their best racing form. Lochte swam a staggering 6,000 meters during his practice session Thursday - a routine that is geared toward having him in top form for London, not Atlanta.
"I don't know what to expect," he said. "But it's a great opportunity to race, no matter what condition I'm in."
Phelps passed on the chance to race in Atlanta. His coach, Bob Bowman, said the 14-time Olympic gold medalist was best served finishing out the year training at home and taking part in one local meet, given a busy fall schedule that included two European meets and high-altitude training in Colorado.
At worlds, Lochte surpassed Phelps as the world's most dominant swimmer, beating his fellow American in their two head-to-head races. But, much like any golf tournament that doesn't include Tiger Woods, the absence of Phelps takes some of the luster off this meet.
"I would like for him to be here, to be with the team," Hansen said. "There's a lot of things he can do to help the team. I'm not talking about when he's on the blocks, but the things he can do just being part of a dual meet. He didn't go to college. I would think he would want to be part of as many dual meets as he could."
Lochte, too, wishes Phelps had decided to compete in Atlanta. Even though they would've been racing for the same team, it would've been another chance to set the table for their expected Olympic showdown in London, likely to be one of the biggest story lines of the 2012 Games.
But Lochte can't concern himself with Phelps' schedule. There's plenty of work to do between now and the Olympics.
"Obviously, I hope everyone will start talking about me," Lochte said. "But it's too early to tell. We've still got six or seven months until the games."
Spofforth, who trains with Lochte, predicts he'll be the biggest swimming star in London - not just because of his steely focus in the water, but the carefree way he carries himself on dry land.
"Everyone wants to be like Ryan," Spofforth said. "I believe he's got that edge. And there's just something about him that makes everyone like him."
Duel in the Pool - Friday & Saturday December 16-17
Duel in the Pool starts tomorrow night. It's a short course meters meet with the US all-stars against European all-stars, including my favorite European swimmer, Lazslo Cseh! I love SC meters because it is so fast and different and rarely swum in the U.S. It should be a very exciting and fan-friendly format. In the U.S., you can watch live on Universal Sports on Friday night and on NBC on Saturday. I'll post links tomorrow.
Ryan Lochte always does well in short-course meets, but is not rested! I read on this blog that Ryan had a 6,000m practice today! http://www.dailymile.com/people/mikebuteau/entries/11513294
Last year at this time Ryan swam at the Short Course Worlds half rested and set two world records. I don't think we can expect any world records this time with Ryan being unrested, but you never know.
As soon as I find out what events Ryan is swimming I will post them.
Here is an interesting video conversation between Ryan and Michael Phelps discussing the sport of swimming.
Ryan Lochte always does well in short-course meets, but is not rested! I read on this blog that Ryan had a 6,000m practice today! http://www.dailymile.com/people/mikebuteau/entries/11513294
Last year at this time Ryan swam at the Short Course Worlds half rested and set two world records. I don't think we can expect any world records this time with Ryan being unrested, but you never know.
As soon as I find out what events Ryan is swimming I will post them.
Here is an interesting video conversation between Ryan and Michael Phelps discussing the sport of swimming.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Ryan to compete at Duel in the Pool
http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/World/28576.asp
Duel in the Pool will take place on December 16-17 at the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center in Atlanta. It will be televised by NBC! The meet will feature the U.S. vs. Europe. According to the article linked above, the Europe team will be made up of swimmers from Great Britain, Netherlands, Poland, Belarus, Denmark, Austria and Lithuania.
Between the Minnesota Grand Prix on November 11-13 (which Ryan will attend) and the Duel in the Pool on December 16-17 we finally have some swim meets on the horizon. So excited to see some racing soon.
Duel in the Pool will take place on December 16-17 at the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center in Atlanta. It will be televised by NBC! The meet will feature the U.S. vs. Europe. According to the article linked above, the Europe team will be made up of swimmers from Great Britain, Netherlands, Poland, Belarus, Denmark, Austria and Lithuania.
Between the Minnesota Grand Prix on November 11-13 (which Ryan will attend) and the Duel in the Pool on December 16-17 we finally have some swim meets on the horizon. So excited to see some racing soon.
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