Five years ago, in the Rio Olympics, Ryan Lochte had been the topic of all major headlines, not because of his swimming, but because of his behavior. Possibly the swimmer with the most accomplishments after Michael Phelps had claimed that he had hit rock bottom since then. However, his recovery to the top is almost complete.
Ryan Lochte Is Already In The Finals Of The Trials
Ryan Lochte had faced two suspensions, one because of the conduct and another for doping. He has since gone for rehabilitation regarding alcohol abuse because Lochte could not keep himself stable after the scandal. But he evidently kept his focus on a singular goal. In the previous 2 years, Lochte had locked himself in Florida’s Gainesville. And he worked out, with the aim of qualifying for the Olympics for the fifth time. After Thursday’s semi-final, the final 200 meters are all that remains.
The preliminary of the US men’s 200 meters individual medley was an easy test for Ryan Lochte. His time was second among all the heats in the morning. Then, during the semis, he secured his progress albeit he struggled. He could only manage to finish sixth among the eight competitors. He needs to be in the top two in the Friday finals to go to Tokyo.
36-year-old Ryan Lochte’s only real shot for a fifth Olympics appearance is the 200m individual medley. This is where he had qualified for the first time in 2004, second to Michael Phelps. He would then win the World Championships in the event four times consecutively. He also set multiple world records during that span.
For the other events, Ryan Lochte could not make it out of the prelims. However, if he secures qualification, he will be the oldest male American swimmer to be in a team for the Olympics.