Posted on 07/28/2012 4:32:31 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
LONDON — The victory was so clear-cut, so utterly dominant, it looked a little bit like Michael Phelps used to do it. Ryan Lochte turned what was supposed to be a dramatic showdown with Phelps on Saturday night into a surprising solo act.
Surprising, that is, to everyone but Lochte, who crushed Phelps and the entire field on the opening night of the Olympic swimming competition, then pronounced himself ready for more of the same over the next eight days.
As Phelps forlornly tried to figure out what happened, how he finished out of the medals in his first Olympic race since the 2000 Summer Games, Lochte matter-of-factly announced himself the boy of the summer.
“This is my year,” Lochte said. “I feel it. I’ve put in the hard work. I’ve trained my butt off for four years. I just feel it inside my gut. This is my year. There’s no better way to start than by getting a gold.”
Lochte, who touched the wall in 4 minutes, 5.18 seconds, was so dominant he had time to turn around, examine the scoreboard and then watch the earnest battle for second and third that ensued behind him. Brazil’s Thiago Pereira claimed the silver in 4:08.86 – 3.68 seconds behind Lochte — and Japan’s Kosuke Hagino got the bronze in 4:08.94. Phelps finished in 4:09.28.
After the race, Phelps yanked off his cap and goggles, stunned. Having claimed the last qualifying spot for the final with a strangely slow swim in the morning heats, Phelps had gotten stuck out in Lane 8, but he said the distant lane wasn’t his problem.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
There’s been some talk that Phelps wasn’t really training and was doing this one last time just to do it. Guess there was something to those rumors after all.
If he doesn’t want to do this anymore, fine. Quit. It sucks that he took a slot from somebody who’d love to be there because he was pressured to go one more time and couldn’t bring himself to say no. He should’ve saved himself the trouble and retired 3-1/2 years ago.
Why don’t you quit your job? Maybe you should have given up years ago when - I heard you were better back then. What? - you say you have a family and financial obligations? Who cares? What matters is that there is someone who “deserves” to be there who can’t go because of mean Phelps?
I am not a fan of your views - they smell like OWS views.
And to get back to the swimming side of things - judge him by his next race. The decision to do the 400IM was essentially a last minute one. He has been primarily training for shorter races.
Your post makes no sense, try again when sober.
I am sober.
Why should Phelps quit? You wouldn’t do the same would you? If he quits he loses millions of dollars. He will win gold - just not in 400IM.
Go Gators!
Bong hits and subway sandwiches must not be good training fodder.
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