Team USA’s Ryan Lochte, the 2nd most decorated male Olympic swimmer of all time, has announced his intention to move to California following the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Lochte, who won his 12th career Olympic medal as a part of the USA’s 4×200 free relay, has spoken in the past about wanting to live on the West Coast.
“On my bucket list it’s always been to go to the west coast, so, California here I come,” said Lochte in an interview with NBC.
In the past, Lochte had planned to move to California when he left his long-time training base in Gainesville, Florida, but he ended up heading to Charlotte instead to train with Coach Dave Marsh at SwimMAC Carolina.
After last night’s 200 IM final, his last race with his friend and swimming rival Michael Phelps, Lochte announced that he would be taking a break from swimming, but left the door open for his return in the future. Lochte finished a distant 5th to miss the podium, and was visibly disappointed after he saw the result.
If he does decide to swim again, we could see him come back to some of the plans he made after the 2012 London Games. When initially talking about his plans to move to California back in 2013, Lochte named USC or Cal Aquatics as his possible training locations.
Welcome sir to the best state in the universe!!!
Or go to Arizona with Bob. Then Phelps comes out of retirement and you guys push eachother in practice as well as competition.
He needs to take a year off. 10 years straight of world class training and competing without a break. The body is not made to do that. Not even Phelps trained as hard as Lochte the past ten years.
Exactly. More hard work pretty much stops being helpful (is actually probably a performance inhibitor) once you get to the point of being physically beaten down with little or no rest the way that Lochte has for the past decade.
If he takes 3-6 months off, but stays somewhat active, I bet we’ll see him swim well again as long as his new training regimen is suitable for his age and ambitions.
He’s going to Trojan Swim Club, living with Conor Dwyer.
Trojan. Long shot – canyons. Why?
1. Cal Aquatics typically only accepts former Cal NCAA swimmers
2. Salo’s low yardage program is very workable for older athletes
3. Lochte seems to have show business aspirations beyond swimming (meaning, LA)
4. He wants to get a sweet sweet suntan????
IMO when he had his knee injury at the end of 2013, he should have realized that was his time to retire. Instead, he went to SwimMac, and it continued to (very slowly) decline. When people say age has caught up to him, look at his prelim and semi swim. He didn’t die in those and had decent times, same with his relay prelims. It seems when he tries to sprint the beginning i.e. 400 IM trials, relay final, and all of his 200 frees the past two years, he dies. That is most likely due to his training. Best of luck to him in California
I think it’s a combination of age, training, and partially related to training – his physique. He’s a bulkier guy than you’d normally see for an elite 200swimmer, which as he’s gotten older has seemed to serve him poorly.
He certainly shouldn’t have swam such a reckless first 100 though, he hammered the backstroke way too hard. A controlled 54mid first 100 would have kept him in the race, and probably allowed him to close fast enough for sub 1:56.
He’s disappointed in his coach.
Backhand into Coach Marsh’s face.
Troy was “garbage yards.” Wonder what Marsh will be.
Hope not, but the commitment to Swimmac was only until 2016 Rio. I think he mentioned trying to train with Dwyer at USC? Not certain. Wish him well whatever he decides to do.
Get back to Florida Lochte! Then go a 1:55 again!