To stand toe to toe with Michael Phelps is not a straightforward task. He dedicated his life to swimming, and the results show. Therefore, matching him is a tall order. While all swimmers resorted to second place, one man thought he could beat him and take over his mantle. For years he trained hard only to fall in the shadows of the legend, but Ryan Lochte was one of the best swimmers in the world. Maybe if Phelps was not present, he could have won more medals. 

His performance at the 2009 World Championships is still fresh in everyone’s minds. But, in a recent interview, he spoke about other swimmers’ mentality toward Phelps and how he thought differently. 

Ryan Lochte was a superstar!

Lochte won 12 Olympic medals, including six golds, which is a testament to his success. Continuously raising the bar with Phelps, he challenged him for years and often came on top. However, he recalled how everyone else thought Michael was a monster inside the pool, and they aimed for second place before the start of the race. With his gigantic wingspan of 6’7″, the rest of the swimmers threw in the white towel; not Lochte.

“Well, everyone, everyone, everyone that raced against Phelps, they’re racing to get second. Just because there’s Michael Phelps, I’m just. He’s going to win. That wasn’t my case at all because I busted my ass,” said Lochte. 

Yet, he worked rigorously in training and recollected how no one messed with him while he gained strokes. “I was one person not to mess with in practice. You know when that saying like going to the well, meaning in practice like you give everything you have. Like I would do that, and I would do even more,” mentioned Lochte, who was determined to come out on top.

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He continued, “I would go until a lifeguard needed to jump in the pool and save me. I would do that on a daily basis. I’m grinding like that. And I knew I worked my ass off, and harder than anyone in the world.”

Defeating Michael Phelps – what it meant

The real turning point came in 2009. The performances showcased at the 2009 World Championships were mesmerizing. In the 200-meter individual medley, one of Phelps’ favorite events, he triumphed against the Baltimore Bullet while setting a new world record, which stays to date. Likewise, he won the gold medal in the 400m-IM, another one of Phelps’ signature events. 

It was one of the most iconic performances by a swimmer apart from Phelps. Well accomplished in all four strokes, he achieved something that only a few could boast off. Lochte remains the strongest rival for Phelps, and probably without him, Phelps would have never reached the next level! Do you agree?

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