Lochte qualified for two events in the 2016 Olympics – Tuesday’s 4×200 and the 200 IM.
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That’s the big thing on the schedule for Thursday night, although Rio will have more to offer. For 13 years, the veteran swimmers have dominated the 200-meter individual medley, CBSSports.com reported.
It was Leah Smiths’ first gold medal of the games, and her second as she won a bronze in the 400-meter freestyle.
For fans who tune into swimming only when the Olympics roll around, Phelps’s longtime coach Bob Bowman had a message: Phelps may make it look easy, but it isn’t. Phelps was 19 and Lochte was 20 at the time.
“The history him and I have had with one another, it’s something special and something I’ve never had in another competitor of mine”, Phelps said. “We’ve literally duked it out back and forth”.
RIO DE JANEIRO South African Chad Le Clos has vowed to do all he can to take the fight to Michael Phelps one last time before the US swimming great heads into retirement.
She just tied the record for most Stanford medals in a single Olympics. “It’s going to be a pretty good matchup”.
Phelps turned 31 on the last day of June.
With the Rio crowd’s excitement mounting, the three turned nearly together after the backstroke, with Lochte just 0.01 seconds ahead.
Swimming next to Lochte, Phelps put up an effortless-looking time of 1:55.78 to claim the prime middle lane in Thursday night’s final. Lochte will swim in Lane 5.
And unfortunately for Friedman, he was very, very enthusiastic about the idea of Lochte stealing the show, and beating Phelps. He is competing in the event this Friday.
Then, he’ll close out these Olympics in the 4×100 medley relay. While this isn’t the eight-events-for-eight-golds insanity of Beijing, it is an inarguably aggressive program.
But Wednesday, it was all about individual credentials at stake. Both secured their latest gold medals on August 9 in the USA team’s victory in the 800m free relay.
The gold is Phelps’ fourth consecutive in the 200 IM. He did cruise through the semifinals of the 200 individual medley with the fastest time, besting longtime rival and countryman Ryan Lochte.
“It’s definitely different”, Lochte said.
“Precisely because they are heroes of mine, I want to give them my best shot, give it everything I’ve got”.
Phelps did what Phelps has done throughout his illustrious career, taking the gold in dominant fashion with a time of 1:54.66. Neither is likely to approach that number Thursday night. Kosuke Hagino of Japan takes the silver and Wang Shun of China earns the bronze.
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Lochte was left in his wake every time.
