"I guess you would say I'd be like the Michael Phelps of swimming if he wasn't there." - @ryanlochte Phelps vs. Lochte tonight on NBC.
A video posted by NBC Olympics (@nbcolympics) on Aug 11, 2016 at 10:47am PDT
Olympic history would be very different in a world without Michael Phelps, and probably nobody knows that better than Ryan Lochte.
In a pre-hair dye interview released Thursday by NBC, Lochte shared a few thoughts on his stellar swimming career, which overlaps that of the most decorated Olympic athlete of all time.
“I guess you would say I’d be like the Michael Phelps of swimming if he wasn’t there,” Lochte said. “But at the same time I love a challenge, and that’s why I do the events that I do and going up against him is a challenge.”
Both swimmers say that they bring out the best in each other, but Lochte’s coach, David Marsh, had his own take.
“The most overshadowing thing has just been that he’s swimming at the same time as Michael Phelps,” Marsh told NBC. “He’s been in that role of pushing Michael. In reality, he’s not trying to push Michael. He’s trying to beat Michael.”
On Thursday night, Phelps and Lochte faced off for possibly the last time at the Olympics, with Phelps winning gold in the 200-meter individual medley. Lochte finished in fifth place.For more Olympics coverage:
· Here’s What Olympic Gold Medals Are Actually Made Of· 53 Of The Most Magnificent Photos From The Rio Olympics· Queen Simone Biles Claims Her Olympic Crown At Last· These Capybaras Don’t Care About Your Pitiful Olympic Golf Course
-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website. Reported by Huffington Post 2 hours ago.
A video posted by NBC Olympics (@nbcolympics) on Aug 11, 2016 at 10:47am PDT
Olympic history would be very different in a world without Michael Phelps, and probably nobody knows that better than Ryan Lochte.
In a pre-hair dye interview released Thursday by NBC, Lochte shared a few thoughts on his stellar swimming career, which overlaps that of the most decorated Olympic athlete of all time.
“I guess you would say I’d be like the Michael Phelps of swimming if he wasn’t there,” Lochte said. “But at the same time I love a challenge, and that’s why I do the events that I do and going up against him is a challenge.”
Both swimmers say that they bring out the best in each other, but Lochte’s coach, David Marsh, had his own take.
“The most overshadowing thing has just been that he’s swimming at the same time as Michael Phelps,” Marsh told NBC. “He’s been in that role of pushing Michael. In reality, he’s not trying to push Michael. He’s trying to beat Michael.”
On Thursday night, Phelps and Lochte faced off for possibly the last time at the Olympics, with Phelps winning gold in the 200-meter individual medley. Lochte finished in fifth place.For more Olympics coverage:
· Here’s What Olympic Gold Medals Are Actually Made Of· 53 Of The Most Magnificent Photos From The Rio Olympics· Queen Simone Biles Claims Her Olympic Crown At Last· These Capybaras Don’t Care About Your Pitiful Olympic Golf Course
-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website. Reported by Huffington Post 2 hours ago.