‘We’re in a Good Spot’: Ryan Lochte Pleased after Pro Swim Series Final
On paper, Ryan Lochte’s Friday at the TYR Pro Swim Series might have seemed underwhelming, the 12-time Olympic medalist going from fifth in the morning prelims of the 200 freestyle to eighth in the final.
But afterward, the 36-year-old was enthused by his performance.
“For as much yardage as we’re doing, our pro team back in Gainesville, we’ve just been grinding yardage,” an upbeat Lochte said in a virtual mixed zone via Zoom. “And (there) hasn’t really (been a) let up for any swimming, so for us, you can tell our whole entire team, we’re tired. We’re swimming like a foot underwater. We don’t have any pop. But we’re racing, we’re racing tough and that’s all that matters and we’re doing good. We’re in a good spot.”
The road back for Lochte is long. He qualified for only one individual event, the 200 individual medley, at the Rio Olympics now nearly five years ago, finishing fifth to go with gold in the 800 free relay. The years since have been filled with the fallout of his extracurricular activities in Rio and a 14-month doping suspension around the sport, plus building a family away from the pool.
Making a final of a meet like the Pro Swim Series is a significant step. Lochte isn’t daunted by his times or placement, given his training with Gator Swim Club and his history of not being the most prolific winner between meets of consequence like Trials.
Most important from this weekend, as has been echoed by many competitors, is the chance to simply compete after the ravages of the 2020 calendar wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Just getting on those blocks again, it feels amazing,” Lochte said. “Any of the swimmers can say the exact same thing. It’s just that excitement of finally being in race mode again after being not able to, and a lot of people were not even having swimming pools to train in. To start to almost getting back to normal, almost, it’s good.”
Lochte went 1:50.72 in prelims in the 200 free. He was quicker at night in 1:50.27, though dropped to last in the A final.
Lochte had a double Saturday morning on the meet’s final day. He finished 11th in the 100 backstroke in 56.60, which he might well scratch for finals. That’s to focus on the 200 IM, where he’s the third seed at 2:02.03, 2.5 seconds slower than top seed Michael Andrew.
The latter event might offer Lochte’s most likely path to an individual event in Tokyo, given the demands of the 400 IM at his age and the lack of a clear, reigning power in that event to get past.
Lochte is keeping things in perspective, knowing the expansive programs of his younger days are a thing of the past. But measuring against where he’s been at similar points of past Olympic cycles, he’s encouraged with his progress as Tokyo approaches.
“I know I’m 36, I’m one of the oldest swimmers,” Lochte said. “But the training that I’m doing is what I was seeing back in 2011, 2012 when I was at my peak. The times I’m going in practice, just the yardage, the back-to-back practices that I’m having that are great, I’m seeing it more often. And it makes me excited to see what this summer’s going to hold.”