All eyes on Ryan Lochte
Take a look at U.S. swimming star Ryan Lochte both in and outside the pool.
American swimmer Ryan Lochte was born Aug. 3, 1984, in Rochester, N.Y. From there, his family moved to Daytona Beach, Fla., so Lochte’s father, Steve, could coach swimming.
American swimmer Ryan Lochte was born Aug. 3, 1984, in Rochester, N.Y. From there, his family moved to Daytona Beach, Fla., so Lochte’s father, Steve, could coach swimming.
Lochte has two older sisters, Kristin and Megan, and two younger brothers, Devon and Brandon. He also has three dogs: Tike, Zeus, and Spidy.
Before becoming a competitive swimmer, Lochte played soccer, lacrosse, and basketball. However, Lochte’s mother and father knew all along that he was a natural at swimming.
Lochte started swimming when he was just five years old. His parents, Steve and Ileana, were his first coaches. Although Lochte spent most of his time in the pool, he has other hobbies outside the water such as basketball, skateboarding, and soccer.
Lochte’s father, Steve, was a swim coach at Daytona Beach Swim Club, as well as Lochte’s first trainer. At the beginning, Lochte wasn’t all that interested in swimming. He was often just fooling around during practice. Today, that is no longer the case.
Lochte attended the University of Florida, where he graduated in 2007 with a degree in sports management. There he swam as a part of the Florida Gators swimming and diving team for Coach Gregg Troy.
Lochte qualified for his first Olympics in 2004 after finishing second to Michael Phelps in the 200m individual medley at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials.
In the past, Lochte has been spotted wearing a pair of bright green, custom sneakers made by Speedo. He named the shoes “Martian,” due to their bright green color. On the bottom, his name is spelled out. In June Lochte Tweeted that he will be debuting a newer, more patriotic pair of kicks at the 2012 Olympic trials.
Lochte is known to crack up his teammates outside of the water when he wears flashy grills on his teeth.
Lochte has broken six world records since the 2008 Olympic Games. He still holds three of them: the long-course 200m IM and 400m IM and the short-course 200m IM.
Lochte has won seven NCAA championships and 51 major international medals.
At the 2008 Beijing Games, Lochte won two gold and two bronze medals, setting records in the 200m backstroke and 4x200m freestyle relay.
At the 2011 Golden Goggles Awards ceremony, hosted by the USA Swimming Foundation, Lochte received the “Male Race of the Year award.” He won the award after his performance in the 200m individual medley at the 2011 World championships, where he received five gold medals.
Lochte emerged as a major threat to swimmer Michael Phelps’ supremacy when he topped Phelps in the 200m individual medley at the 2011 FINA World Championships.
Although he has won several awards and broken numerous records in the pool, Lochte is not yet drained. He trains daily both inside and outside the pool.
