Michael Phelps won his 21st gold medal and the U.S. men’s swimming team took its fourth consecutive gold in the 4-x-200 meter relay Tuesday in Rio de Janeiro. In all four relays, the common denominator was Phelps and longtime teammate and rival Ryan Lochte. He and Phelps swam the third and anchor legs respectively. They are now the grand old men of swimming at 32 and 31. Seems like only yesterday they were teenagers crowned in laurel and giggling on the podium in Athens.
Phelps, who’s had his share of problems with alcohol, has a newfound maturity with fiancée Nicole Johnson and baby Boomer (so adorable). Some things, however, never change. Lochte, noted for his, shall we say, striking sartorial choices, dyed his hair ice-blue for the Rio Games. Instead it looks platinum.
Why do thoroughly gorgeous people tamper with Greco-Roman beauty?
Read More“It’s a great race, it’s a great race, it’s a great race” I kept screaming at the TV as Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte went 1-2 in the 200 IM finals in the Olympic Trials in Omaha.
“Win or lose, we have a good friendship and that’s why it’s a great rivalry,” Lochte said afterward.
Frankly, I thought Lochte, swimming with a groin injury, had Phelps in the final leg, the free, but hand it to Phelps – he has the longer reach and the champion’s ability to close. That takes nothing away from Lochte, who has never been intimidated, never backed down. That’s what makes it a great rivalry. ...
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Read MoreHe didn’t win any events at the Arena Pro Swim Series in Charlotte, N.C. But then, Michael Phelps has dug himself a hole that he has to climb out of. He retired. He unretired. He was arrested for DUI.
Sometimes I think he does some of this on purpose so that he’ll have to start over. But that’s just what he’s doing. He’ll follow coach Bob Bowman to Arizona State in Tempe, where Bowman will coach the men’s and women’s swim team. Phelps – who is making the move with his fiancée, Nicole Johnson – has some familiarity with the area, having rehabbed in Phoenix. Still, it’s a big move from his hometown of Baltimore – new program, new surroundings, new responsibilities, new life.
Maybe it’s just what he needs to get back in the swim. ...
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