Ryan Lochte wins 200m medley title at US swimming championships

LOS ANGELES — Six-time Olympic gold medallist Ryan Lochte, back from a 14-month suspension, won the 200m individual medley on Sunday at the US swimming championships in Palo Alto, California.

Lochte, 35, clocked 1min 57.76 to win a 27th national title and stamp himself a contender to make a fifth Olympic team next year.


“This was a lot easier 10 years ago,” said Lochte, who finished 1.07sec in front of silver medallist Shalne Casas. “I’ve got a lot of ways to go for 2020.”

Lochte was suspended from swimming for 10 months after a scandal at the 2016 Olympics, when he was found to have fabricated a story about a robbery during a drunken late-night episode in Rio de Janeiro.

He had returned from that ban when he was handed a 14-month suspension by the US Anti-Doping Agency over a prohibited intravenous infusion of legal vitamins — which he posted about on social media.

In his time away from competition, Lochte appeared on the US television reality show Celebrity Big Brother, and also sought treatment for alcohol addiction.


Lochte, who would turn 36 during next year’s Tokyo Olympics, won individual Olympic gold in the 200m backstroke in 2008 at Beijing and in the 400m individual medley in 2012 in London and won 4x200m freestyle relay gold in 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016. He has won a total of 12 medals in four Olympic appearances.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Olympics: True bromance as Phelps and Lochte eye Rio finale

RIO DE JANEIRO—The curtain comes down on one of swimming’s great rivalries on Thursday when Olympic giants Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte lock horns one last time.

Phelps will look to win the men’s 200m individual medley for an incredible fourth successive Games while Lochte, so often the bridesmaid, finally tries to get one over on his fellow American.

After the formalities of Wednesday’s semi-finals, both swimmers indulged in some sweet-talk before their last dance in Rio.

“The history [he] and I have had with one another it’s something special,” said Phelps, who won his record 20th and 21st Olympic gold medals on Tuesday.

“We’ve been racing for the last 12 years and having one more battle tomorrow will be fun,” he added after qualifying quickest for the final in a time of one minute, 55.78 seconds.

“Ryan and I have grown closer as friends this year — so we’ll have one more time to hop in the pool and duke it out.”

Phelps has caught fire in his fifth and final Olympics, winning gold medals in the 4x100m and 4x200m freestyle relays and the 200m fly, and Lochte is under no illusions about the size of the task he faces.

“It’s going to take a perfect performance in order to beat him because of how tough a competitor he is,” said world record holder Lochte, who has taken two silvers and a bronze behind Phelps in Athens, Beijing and London.

“He won’t give up and that’s awesome. That’s why he brings out the best in me.

“Any chance I can get up and race Michael, that’s the best,” gushed Lochte, second fastest in the semi-finals half a second behind Phelps. “We’ve been racing since 2004. He’s the toughest competitor I’ve ever gone up against.

“When we go up on the blocks, we’re always trying to win — that’s just the competitive instinct we have,” he added. “But win or lose we’re still good friends.”

Brazilian Thiago Pereira qualified third quickest in front of his home fans in 1:57.11 but the real danger is likely to come from Japan’s Kosuke Hagino, who won the 400m medley in Rio and has plans to gatecrash the American party.

“Tomorrow I just have to swim my own race and leave everything out there,” the 21-year-old Japanese told AFP after winning his heat in 1:57.38.

“I really don’t care about Phelps or Lochte. They’re heroes of mine, but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to front up.

“Precisely because they are heroes of mine, I want to give them my best shot, give it everything I’ve got.”/RGA

source: sports.inquirer.net