There has been no full announcement about which Americans will be swimming at this year’s World Cup Series, held in 25 meter pools in different cities around Europe and Asia, but we know at least one megastar will swim: Ryan Lochte.
The Russian Swimming Federation has announced that the 5-time Olympic Champion is committed to participate in at least the Moscow stop of the series on October 17th and 18th; usually when Americans have traveled to the European legs of this event, they make multiple stops on the continent, though that hasn’t been confirmed.
This will be Lochte’s first trip into the high-money, high excitement world of the FINA World Cup. That’s not to say he can’t pull off short course swimming – with his amazing underwaters he’s arguably better than long course. At the 2010 Short Course World Championships, he took 6 golds and a relay silver: the most ever won by a single swimmer at the event. He also broke the Short Course World Records in the 200 and 400 IM on back-to-back days, which really pulled swimming out of the World Record depths of despair following the banishment of full-body polyurethane suits earlier that year.
With a change of training locale to Southern California all-but-confirmed for Lochte, these World Cup meets could become one of the more interesting stories for the rest of 2012. Typically under Gregg Troy, Lochte has been just dreadful in-season. With his seeming desire to move more toward sprint-based events and training, though, keep an eye on how much better he goes during the year.
Update: Lochte’s agent Erica Wright says he is staying put in Florida.
Anthony Ervin is another American who has confirmed participation in the World Cup Series, though there will surely be more.
A NBC reporter just posted on Twitter that Ryan’s manager (I’m assuming this is his ever-present agent Erika Wright…) said that as of now Ryan will be remaining in Florida and training with Troy. Good for him… Though I kinda wonder if a simple change of physical environment may have been good for him. But then again, Troy knows him better than anyone. Wish him all the best.
now how he will get people mad at him? sorry folks, he is back at the pool
Won’t he compete at World Short Course Swimming Championships in December?
He’s certainly qualified to, but we’ll have to see when the roster is released later this week.
18 & under team listed here:
http://www.usaswimming.org/_Rainbow/Documents/b42a3488-a1ec-4e84-a7e8-dfe57fe8e8ef/2012%2018%20and%20Under%20World%20Cup%20Team%20Roster%209.20.12.pdf
Well, happy to see he’s still a swimmer.
i wish Phelps would of swam in the short course format more, just more accolades to add to the chest.
Likewise. We’ll never know how good he could have been at short course format, also 100 and 200 backstroke, 100 free…I wish he stayed for 2-3 years more, just for fun and off events.
if i remember correctly, Phelps came really close to breaking the WR in the 100 back. and i believe his suit time of 47.51 was almost a WR. his 47.1 split in London indicates to me he is still capable of swimming 47.5 in textile but i guess we will never know.
Yes, at one point he had second fastest time ever, behind Peirsol.
Yeah, at Summer Nationals in 2007 (when there was no international meet as Worlds were in Melbourne in March) he went 53.01, just 3/100’s off Peirsol’s WR. He also went 1.54.6 I believe, 3/10’s off Lochte’s WR
The 47.51 was leading off in the Beijing relay, same race as Sullivan broke the WR with a 47.24, but he was just 1/100 off the old WR
Under whom will Lochte be training in CA? Is this a permanent change?
Loretta – nobody really knows…it’s kind of one of those secrets that everyone knows but nobody will confirm at this point. He’s said he’s coming to Southern California during the Olympics, but didn’t name a coach.
Loretta, he says that in London and even sold his Gainesville house but later in some interview he was talking about move in new place in Gainsville and keep on training with DeLancy and Troy.
Braden- Have they announced World Champ team yet?
Joann – not that I’ve seen, but I believe they said rosters will be out by October 1, so keep an eye out.