After beating only one other swimmer, Ryan Lochte was the last one to climb from the pool.
He struggled to lift himself out of the …
After beating only one other swimmer, Ryan Lochte was the last one to climb from the pool. He struggled to lift himself out of the water, undoubtedly feeling all of his 36 years after attempting to make one more Olympic team in the grueling 200-meter individual medley. In the end, he didn’t come close. There won’t be a chance for redemption in Tokyo. After embarrassing himself five years ago in Rio de Janeiro, Lochte’s bid for a fifth Olympics ended with a labored, seventh-place finish in the 200 IM at the U.S. swimming trials Friday night. Youth was served in a race that requires one lap using each of swimming’s four strokes. That was something Lochte just didn’t have. Michael Andrew—14 years his junior—romped to victory by going under world record pace over the first three laps and holding on in the freestyle for a winning time of 1 minute,55.44 seconds. Chase Kalisz, who already had won the 400 individual medley at these trials, claimed another Olympic event by finishing next in 1:56.97. Lochte lagged far behind, touching in 1:59.67. That was nearly 6 seconds off the world record he still holds, a time of 1:54.00 from the 2011 world championships in the prime of his brilliant career. A tearful Lochte wouldn’t go as far as saying his swimming days are over. But this was surely his last realistic shot at the Olympics. Even though the Paris Games are just three years away, Lochte will be approaching his 40th birthday when France takes over the hosting duties. “I really wanted to be on this Olympic team,” Lochte said. “This is probably my most important swim meet that I’ve ever had in my entire career, the one that meant the most to me.
