Lochte deals blow to Phelps medal chase

Δημοσιεύθηκε: 28 Ιουλίου 2012 - 18:19

Michael Phelps was beaten on Saturday in the first showdown with his US teammate and rival, Ryan Lochte, in a disappointing start to the swimmer's quest to become the most decorated Olympian ever.

Mr Lochte convincingly won the 400m individual medley, in a highly anticipated final that Mr Phelps only narrowly qualified for earlier. Mr Phelps missed the podium altogether, placing fourth in an event he won at both the Athens and Beijing Olympics.

It marked the first time he had failed to win a medal in an Olympic final since the Sydney games in 2000, when he was15.

The 16-time Olympic medal winner - 14 of them gold - made no excuses for his result. He said his competitors were "more prepared and that's why they're on the medals table". He said swimming out in lane eight, rather than his usual place in the middle lanes with other top-seeded swimmers in the event, was not a factor in determining his result.

"Frustrating" was the word Mr Phelps used most to describe his performance afterwards, admitting he was lucky even to have scooped the last spot in the final.

Mr Lochte, who has dominated the 400m individual medley for the past few years, took the gold ahead of Brazil's Thiago Pereira and Japan's Kosuke Hagino.

"I've said before that this is my year. I know it because I've put in hard work … for four years," he said.

Mr Lochte said he was "surprised" that Mr Phelps did not win a medal but predicted the result would motivate his rival for the rest of the games.

Mr Phelps needs just three medals to surpass Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina's Olympic record of 18. His next chance comes in Sunday's 4?100 medley relay, when he is likely to be working with Mr Lochte as a teammate.

Mr Lochte said there were no hard feelings between the pair. "We probably have one of the best rivalries in the sport of swimming ever. Win or lose, at the end of the day we're still friends."

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