Olympics 2012 swimming athletes: Ryan Lochte, Michael Phelps rivalry (video)
Top Olympics 2012 swimming athletes Ryan Lochte and Michael Phelps rivalry is going to take the games to greater heights (video)
Ryan Lochte, Michael Phelps competition in swimming is not new. It is years old. If Michael Phelps had an upper hand till a few years ago, it is Ryan Lochte who has seen his graph go up and up in recent years and has been able to beat Phelps on many occasions. But Phelps is not going to give up his place in the swimming world and is competing with his full energy in the on-going London Olympics 2012.
Ryan Lochte has already won a gold medal in the 400 IM event where Michael Phelps lost the chance to win a medal by a whisker. He was the fourth best that meant he couldn’t win even a bronze medal, while his toughest opponent in the world swimming who also belongs from the same team won the gold. For US swimming fans, many of whom have grown watching this 27 year old athlete excel in the sport and win one medal after the other, this might be a big disappointment. Phelps too was disappointed but was also happy that one of his own countrymen was able to lift the gold.
Ryan Lochte and Michael Phelps comparison is only a recent phenomenon that started only after Beijing Olympics held in the year 2008. For Lochte beating Phelps was a difficult dream. Phelps is a workaholic and trained very hard even when he had no real competition. He still trains the hardest among the swimmers. It was only during World Aquatics Championships that he beat Phelps for the first time and beat him several times during the championship. He won 200m individual medley against Phelps, 200m backstroke and again 400m medley. Since then he has never looked back.
But beating him is one thing and winning so many gold medals – as many as 16 so far –is altogether different thing. When asked as to whether it was possible to equal Phelps when it came to Olympic medals, he says, “I know it is possible…It’s just a matter of how many events my body can physically handle in a row…Once I touch that wall, I feel like I need a lifeguard or something. Honestly, your legs go in the backstroke. After the breaststroke, your arms go and then after that your whole body’s hurting”. Notwithstanding the fact that he and Phelps, booth are of the same age -27 years –he plans not to retire from the swimming before 2016 Olympics. Phelps on the other hand has made it more than clear that he is not looking forward to be in the swimming beyond the age of 30, that means he has his retirement plans complete.
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