You are working on Staging1

Lochte Misses 400 IM Olympic Spot; Says He Pulled His Groin

2016 U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM TRIALS

Ryan Lochte missed a spot on the Olympic team in the 400 IM tonight, falling to Chase Kalisz and Jay Litherland in the 400 IM final.

In the post-race press conference, Lochte revealed that he pulled a groin muscle during this morning’s prelims. His race strategy tonight was to try and build up a big lead in the fly and backstroke and hope that it would hold up through the breaststroke and freestyle legs.

Unfortunately for Lochte, he ended up swimming the event in 4:12.02, coming in exactly a second behind Litherland (4:11.02) and two and a half seconds behind Kalisz (4:09.54).

Lochte still has the 200 free, the 100 free, the 200 back, the 200 IM and the 100 fly to swim this week. If he makes all finals, that will be a total of 15 swims over the course of the week.

You can see the full results of the men’s 400 IM here.

In This Story

32
Leave a Reply

Subscribe
Notify of

32 Comments
newest
oldest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Quinn
8 years ago

Excuses

SwimmerFoxJet
Reply to  Quinn
8 years ago

It is an excuse. And a darn good one too. 4:12.02 is a amazing time sonce he couldn’t use his thighs for breaststroke.

IC2breast
8 years ago

“Excuses are like poems. They’re for sissies and no one wants to hear them…”

Man up, and admit you just lost the race. Coming out publically to say you have an ‘injury’?

SwimmerFoxJet
Reply to  IC2breast
8 years ago

Can you swim under 4:20 in the 400 IM? Can you swim a 4:12.02? Can you swim a 4:05.18? Can you swim a 4:12.02 with a pulled groin?

Not a Fan
8 years ago

I believe Ryan Lochte is doing exactly what he prepared to do. When it sinks in, he will do exactly what college prepared him to do.

bobo gigi
8 years ago

I’m not worried. Not the first time he has some problems. He will easily qualify in the 200 IM.

Attila the Hunt
Reply to  bobo gigi
8 years ago

Brainless!

bobo gigi
8 years ago

I still wonder why he swam the 400 IM. No brain decision.

swimdoc
Reply to  bobo gigi
8 years ago

Undoubtedly because he wants to make the team, and it was his second best shot at it (behind the 200 IM). No one’s a lock except Ledecky.

SwimmerFoxJet
Reply to  swimdoc
8 years ago

What about Phelps in the 200 IM? All he would need in a 1:56 mid at best to make the team.

Attila the Hunt
Reply to  bobo gigi
8 years ago

Bobo, you should give Dave Marsh and Ryan Lochte a call and tell them they didn’t use their brain when making swimming decisions.

Billabong
8 years ago

Unfortunately injuries are par for the course with older swimmers. However an injured groin does explain why he swam 4:12 in season, and 4:12 fully tapered and shaved. Hard luck.

swimdoc
Reply to  Billabong
8 years ago

He was partially tapered and shaved for that 4:12, as I recall Marsh pointed out at the time. Still, it was bad luck.

ddu
8 years ago

Loche is too old now.400 im is not good event for his age

Richard Stevens
8 years ago

Drat!! I’m in a minority, it seems. Hopefully, you guys know more about anatomy than folks like me! If he’s pulled his groin, isn’t that pretty serious in the heat of battle where the top 2 only qualify?! Wrong time, wrong place I fear!! We know Lochte’s one of the very best so to not ave him in Rio would, to use US parlance, suck!! 🙁 Let’s hope he possesses Wolverine type healing powers….

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

Read More »