Given the return to racing amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Ryan Lochte, like many swimmers, wasn’t sure what to expect from himself. But after he finished the 2020 US Open virtual championships from Sarasota, he knew he expected more than what his performances were this weekend.
The 12-time Olympic medalist took third in the 200-meter individual medley with a time 2:01.05 on Friday. It was the fastest of the Sarasota session, but was more than a second behind overall winner Chase Kalisz (1:59.72) in the nine-site meet. The 36-year-old was 26th in the 200 freestyle and 51st in the 100 backstroke, finished fifth in his session in the 200 backstroke and pulled out of the 100 freestyle.
“This is probably going to go down as my worst meet that I’ve ever had,” he told Beth Harris of The Associated Press. “I do not like swimming this bad. When I get back (home), I’m going to start turning it up again.”
Lochte is aiming to make the Olympic team in 2021, which would be his fifth team.
The road for Lochte has been bumpy since Rio. After swimming at the 2016 Olympics, the attention was on Lochte lying about an incident at a Rio gas station, for which he later apologized. Then he was suspended by USA Swimming for receiving an unsanctioned I.V.
But he returned strongly to swimming in 2019 at the U.S. National Championships and has thrown his focus to his growing family. At nationals, he won the 200 IM and looked to be building strongly toward 2021.
But the pandemic hit and it changed everything for everyone.
Now, it will be even more difficult for Lochte to be at his best for the 2021 trials. But that will be a source of motivation for Lochte.
“I feel like inside I want to prove everyone wrong,” Ryan Lochte told the AP. “I want to do it for myself. I guess this year is way more important than any I’ve ever had.”
I’m confident it will come together for him. I hope to see him go out in style!