For Ryan Lochte, who is accustomed to spending six hours a day in the pool, a dry weekend of doing nothing proved to be the key to reviving his season.
He is hoping that second wind will carry him through the FINA swimming world championships, starting Sunday in Rome, where the stars from the Beijing Olympics will reconvene for more records in their super-fast, super-controversial swimsuits.
Lochte was paddling through the spring, feeling tired and uninspired. He was trying to forget one of the worst meets of his career, in Charlotte, N.C., where he failed to make the final in two events.
He decided to make a visit home to Daytona Beach. Lochte, 24, who went to the University of Florida, lives and trains in Gainesville.
``I went home to my family and we sat around, ate pizza and wings, chilled out by the pool, drank a few cold ones, had some laughs,'' Lochte said.
Lochte's father, Steve, a club and collegiate coach in Daytona Beach and Lochte's childhood coach, didn't question Lochte about his slump or offer any advice. The only fatherly command he gave was that Lochte not go surfing.
``When I'm home we try not to discuss swimming,'' Lochte said. ``The less I talk and think about swimming the better off I'll be.''
The brief respite worked wonders. At Lochte's next meet, in Santa Clara, Calif., he beat Michael Phelps to win the 100-meter backstroke, won the 200 back and 400 individual medley and finished second in the 100 butterfly.
Lochte continued his climb this month at the U.S. nationals and world team trials in Indianapolis by winning the 400 IM in a 2009 world-best time of 4:06.40 and the 200 IM in U.S. Open record time of 1:54:56, and finishing second to Aaron Peirsol in the 200 backstroke. Peirsol broke Lochte's world record in the event with a time of 1:53.08.
POST-OLYMPIC BLAHS
It was a year of post-Olympic blahs for Lochte, but he's finding his groove now and feels capable of winning medals in all his events, plus relays.
``A world record would be awesome,'' said Lochte, a 12-time Olympic and world medalist. ``I haven't done a ton of training for it, but it's possible.''
Lochte's coach, Gregg Troy of UF, said Lochte could do what he did two years ago at worlds in Melbourne, Australia, when he dethroned Peirsol, setting a world record in the 200 back and ending Peirsol's seven-year winning streak in the event.
``Ryan is a little race shy this year,'' Troy said. ``The reality is that when you're looking toward the 2012 Olympics, 2009 is not of paramount importance. But we want to get a good feel for where the world is at this point.''
Lochte plans to wear a Speedo LZR suit in Rome.
``I try not to pay much attention to the whole suit discussion unless they say my suit is banned,'' Lochte said. ``Then I won't wear a suit at all.''
But FINA's decision to allow swimmers in Rome to use almost all models of the high-tech suits that reduce drag and improve buoyancy is one of Troy's pet peeves.
A NASCAR-TYPE SPORT
``We've become more of a NASCAR-type sport,'' Troy said. ``There are definitely suits that provide a strategic advantage. The swimming federations haven't had the fortitude to make decisions unpopular with swimsuit manufacturers.''
One thing different about worlds for Lochte is that he won't be matched head-to-head with Phelps, who is swimming the 100 and 200 butterfly and the 200 freestyle. The two are often described as rivals -- they are friends and relay teammates, too -- and Lochte might have been the man to prevent Phelps' record haul of eight golds in China. But then Lochte got sick and his plans went slightly awry.
``The only thing I wish I could change was me getting sick,'' Lochte said of the Beijing Olympics. ``I made the mistake of using tap water to brush my teeth and got a really bad stomach flu -- started Aug.5 until Aug.11 and my first race was Aug.9.
``I tried not to let it affect me, but it was a bummer.''
Lochte took bronze medals in the 200 and 400 IMs -- his best shots at beating Phelps. He also won gold in the 200 back in the world record time of 1:53.94 and gold in the 800 freestyle relay.
NOT FOCUSED ON PHELPS
``I focused on beating Michael, and that took me away from just racing,'' Lochte said. ``I became a swimmer/thinker rather than a racer. I won't make that mistake again. It shouldn't matter whether it's Michael or someone else.''
Troy agreed that the preoccupation with Phelps might have cost Lochte.
``We've given up some higher spots trying to beat Michael,'' Troy said. ``Those Olympic bronzes could have been silvers if Ryan had been swimming for second, but we designed our strategy to beat Michael. It's a fast world. You can't let your guard down.''
No doubt Lochte will see proof of that in Rome. And after Rome, he's ready for more R&R.
``I'm going somewhere exotic, like Hawaii,'' he said. ``This time, lots of surfing.''
Source
He is hoping that second wind will carry him through the FINA swimming world championships, starting Sunday in Rome, where the stars from the Beijing Olympics will reconvene for more records in their super-fast, super-controversial swimsuits.
Lochte was paddling through the spring, feeling tired and uninspired. He was trying to forget one of the worst meets of his career, in Charlotte, N.C., where he failed to make the final in two events.
He decided to make a visit home to Daytona Beach. Lochte, 24, who went to the University of Florida, lives and trains in Gainesville.
``I went home to my family and we sat around, ate pizza and wings, chilled out by the pool, drank a few cold ones, had some laughs,'' Lochte said.
Lochte's father, Steve, a club and collegiate coach in Daytona Beach and Lochte's childhood coach, didn't question Lochte about his slump or offer any advice. The only fatherly command he gave was that Lochte not go surfing.
``When I'm home we try not to discuss swimming,'' Lochte said. ``The less I talk and think about swimming the better off I'll be.''
The brief respite worked wonders. At Lochte's next meet, in Santa Clara, Calif., he beat Michael Phelps to win the 100-meter backstroke, won the 200 back and 400 individual medley and finished second in the 100 butterfly.
Lochte continued his climb this month at the U.S. nationals and world team trials in Indianapolis by winning the 400 IM in a 2009 world-best time of 4:06.40 and the 200 IM in U.S. Open record time of 1:54:56, and finishing second to Aaron Peirsol in the 200 backstroke. Peirsol broke Lochte's world record in the event with a time of 1:53.08.
POST-OLYMPIC BLAHS
It was a year of post-Olympic blahs for Lochte, but he's finding his groove now and feels capable of winning medals in all his events, plus relays.
``A world record would be awesome,'' said Lochte, a 12-time Olympic and world medalist. ``I haven't done a ton of training for it, but it's possible.''
Lochte's coach, Gregg Troy of UF, said Lochte could do what he did two years ago at worlds in Melbourne, Australia, when he dethroned Peirsol, setting a world record in the 200 back and ending Peirsol's seven-year winning streak in the event.
``Ryan is a little race shy this year,'' Troy said. ``The reality is that when you're looking toward the 2012 Olympics, 2009 is not of paramount importance. But we want to get a good feel for where the world is at this point.''
Lochte plans to wear a Speedo LZR suit in Rome.
``I try not to pay much attention to the whole suit discussion unless they say my suit is banned,'' Lochte said. ``Then I won't wear a suit at all.''
But FINA's decision to allow swimmers in Rome to use almost all models of the high-tech suits that reduce drag and improve buoyancy is one of Troy's pet peeves.
A NASCAR-TYPE SPORT
``We've become more of a NASCAR-type sport,'' Troy said. ``There are definitely suits that provide a strategic advantage. The swimming federations haven't had the fortitude to make decisions unpopular with swimsuit manufacturers.''
One thing different about worlds for Lochte is that he won't be matched head-to-head with Phelps, who is swimming the 100 and 200 butterfly and the 200 freestyle. The two are often described as rivals -- they are friends and relay teammates, too -- and Lochte might have been the man to prevent Phelps' record haul of eight golds in China. But then Lochte got sick and his plans went slightly awry.
``The only thing I wish I could change was me getting sick,'' Lochte said of the Beijing Olympics. ``I made the mistake of using tap water to brush my teeth and got a really bad stomach flu -- started Aug.5 until Aug.11 and my first race was Aug.9.
``I tried not to let it affect me, but it was a bummer.''
Lochte took bronze medals in the 200 and 400 IMs -- his best shots at beating Phelps. He also won gold in the 200 back in the world record time of 1:53.94 and gold in the 800 freestyle relay.
NOT FOCUSED ON PHELPS
``I focused on beating Michael, and that took me away from just racing,'' Lochte said. ``I became a swimmer/thinker rather than a racer. I won't make that mistake again. It shouldn't matter whether it's Michael or someone else.''
Troy agreed that the preoccupation with Phelps might have cost Lochte.
``We've given up some higher spots trying to beat Michael,'' Troy said. ``Those Olympic bronzes could have been silvers if Ryan had been swimming for second, but we designed our strategy to beat Michael. It's a fast world. You can't let your guard down.''
No doubt Lochte will see proof of that in Rome. And after Rome, he's ready for more R&R.
``I'm going somewhere exotic, like Hawaii,'' he said. ``This time, lots of surfing.''
Source
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