In the SwimSwam Podcast dive deeper into the sport you love with insider conversations about swimming. Hosted by Coleman Hodges, Garrett McCaffrey, and Gold Medal Mel Stewart, SwimSwam welcomes both the biggest names in swimming that you already know, and rising stars that you need to get to know, as we break down the past, present, and future of aquatic sports.
12-time Olympic medalist Ryan Lochte previews his 400 IM and 200 Free double at the Atlanta Classic this weekend. The 36 year old swimming icon is a big topic on the run-up to the U.S. Olympic Trials in June. Lochte has shown real glimpses of his old self. He dropped a 3:40 400 yard IM and a 1:59.7 200 meter IM in-season. Those swims checkout. They are certainly on the mark compared to past in-season swims. His 100 fly, 100 back and 200 free have been a little rough, but Lochte has historically swum very slowly in-season due the heavy work-load Coach Gregg Troy demands of his swimmers. In sum, I’m bullish on Lochte’s Olympic Trials performance. I just hope he gets enough rest on the run-up. He’s older. He will need more rest to feel that taper-speed in Omaha.
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Opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the interviewed guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints of the hosts, SwimSwam Partners, LLC and/or SwimSwam advertising partners.
His coach has to get his taper right. Lochte has trained harder than he has in years, to the point of total exhaustion.
Bob Bowman admitted that Phelps’ taper was a little off at the 2016 trials after the 200 fly final. Phelps was really “tightening up” in the final 20 meters.
“Ryan Lochte’s Last Try | Sports Illustrated” https://www.si.com/.amp/olympics/2021/05/04/ryan-lochte-last-olympic-try-daily-cover
Did anyone have a chance to read the SI article from the other week?
I was really surprised about Troy being okay with Lochte’s partying. I wonder how many Florida swimmers were annoyed by this or saw it as a negative to the team. I’ve heard or some other swimmers and divers like this (case or two a night) but none of were Olympians let alone medalists.
A lot of athletes party in college…. lol
Not like that man. Partying like that = party out of college
Virtually all of the greats of the 08 and 12 Olympics partied their faces off. I don’t know about other eras.
Wow. Very sad. Even if he makes the Olympic Team and miraculously wins a medal, then what? Movies aren’t going to be made about his life forever. It was fairly obvious 8-10 years ago he was squandering money. I guess he had/has no sense and/or didn’t listen to advisors IF they were at all interested in his long-term interests. Sounds like the Affluenza 30-Something. No consequences then, big ones now.
…Lochte’s shared some of his future plans, and much of it is around swim education, clinics, potentially owning a team.. For any Olympian, a learn-to-swim business is great. I can’t think of any Olympian that has started one and stopped. They keep those business for decades.
Thanks for sharing the article – I can’t wait to see how this story ends in Tokyo, wow! …I mean, Jeah!
Seems clear that he’s racing to make money and hopefully rebuild his brand to bring in sponsors after his retirement from swimming. I hope that and having a family is the motivation he needs, but also the article suggests a tremendous amount of pressure to make the Olympics, so if he fails will he be able to weather that and move on without a relapse?
Yeah, I was worried when I read that he might consider himself a failure if he can’t qualify. That mindset is rough, especially when he’s clearly been grinding so hard these last few years. I hope he find peace, regardless of whether or not he makes the team.
You sweet summer child.
I hope I does a full taper for trials. That’s the only way he is going to make the team. Think about the olympics once you are there.
Also, I kind of feel that the 400 im might be easier to qualify than the 200 im. But if he swims the 400 he might have no energy for the 200 free and 200 im. If I was him I would only swim the 200Fr and 200 im.
Don’t know why but I got feeling that Dressel might try the 200 im, to have a shot at 8 golds.
If that turns out to be true the 200 im are going to be a dog fight: chase, lochte, andrew, foster, dressel,
Mel, Thank you for the video! Swimswam is the only venue for these longer Q&A’s with the World’s swimming greats.
…thanks. With Coleman, and now Mr. Garrett McCaffrey, getting the interviews and coverage is more manageable (not 12-16 hours days). This is our new normal going forward.
See what happens!
If we just look at the economic side of this, is there any other U.S. swimmer who has more to gain just from making the U.S. Olympic Team and more to lose by not making the Team? I am talking about the borderline qualifiers here, not the superstars like Ledecky and Dressel.
Thanks! Lochte is unique due to his greatness and longevity. I’m thinking that Nathan Adrian and Anthony Ervin are somewhat similar to Lochte, but with maybe only 10% of the upside or downside. Ditto for Simone Manuel, Lily King, and several others on the women’s side. Younger swimmers like Michael Andrew, Chase Kalisz, Regan Smith, and Kathleen Baker have big economic upside — especially if they win an individual medal and/or final in multiple events.
It depends on the Trials schedule, but he should try for the 200IM, 200 Free, and 400IM. It’s possible that he could finish top two in the 400IM and not in the 200IM.
The schedule is actually perfect for this:
Day 1: 400 IM P/F
Day 2: 200 Free P/S
Day 3: 200 Free F
Day 4: Off
Day 5: 200 IM P/S
Day 6: 200 IM F
If possible, he should swim the 400IM and 200IM, and then swim a 200 Free time trial after he makes the team. If I remember correctly, in 2016 he swam his way into the top four of the 800 Free relay at the pre Olympic training camp.
He was 4th in the event at the 2016 Trials.
At the Olympics, it was between Lochte and Jack Conger for the last spot in the relay final. Phelps got a free ride onto the relay. Even though Conger out split Lochte in the morning prelims, the coaches gave Lochte the nod to swim in the final. Jack Conger was extremely disappointed.
Not to go psychoanalyst on that but I wonder if that affected Conger going forward. That’s pretty rough.
Agreed a 4:10 he could do and could make the team.
the 400 IM is less competitive this year than the 200. He could make the finals in Tokyo under 4:11. He has the back and the breaststroke. Go Ryan!