Posted on 07/30/2012 6:43:26 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
LONDON Ryan Lochte had exactly one day to enjoy being recognized by many as the Worlds Greatest Swimmer.
Team USAs newly crowned champion in the 400-meter individual medley relay on Saturday, Lochte quickly transformed from hero to goat Sunday when Frances Yannick Agnel jetted past him over the final 50 meters of the 4 X 100-meter freestyle relay at the Olympic Aquatic Centre.
A French Connection anchored by Agnel struck for gold with a time of 3:09.93 in the final, roughly a half-tick ahead of the American silver-medal crew (3:10.38), which was led-off by Nathan Adrian (47.89 for his 100-meter split) followed by Michael Phelps (47.15), Cullen Jones (47.60) and then Lochte (47.74). Russia won the bronze (3:11.41), while pre-race favorite Australia finished fourth.
At least Im in a medal today, reasoned Phelps, who before finishing fourth in Saturdays 400 IM had won medals in 16 consecutive Olympic events dating back to the 2000 Sydney Games.
Lochte, his seemingly ever-present swagger turned suddenly sullen in defeat, attributed his inability to hold the lead to poor strategy and inexperience.
The 100 free, I dont really swim it; I havent swam it in a long time, he said. So I think I was just really excited, and I over-swam the first 50, which kinda hurt me for the last 50.
(Excerpt) Read more at knoxnews.com ...
How fast is the pool compared with Beijing?
He seemed to stop swimming the last 25. Hard to understand how that can happen in such a short race.
How can you call him a “goat”? He swam a fine race and got beaten fair and square. He was one of FOUR men on that team. They still took the silver medal, fgs!
Maybe France was just better, it happens, the US barely beat them four years ago.
At least they’re not the Aussies, who were the favorites, and wound up completely off of the podium.
Maybe the other guy was just swimming faster! Lochte was already slowing down before his turn.
The fault is with whoever decided to put Lochte in the anchor position, although he had little experience at it.
Forgot his spinach?
Then, they should say that the coach is the “goat”, not the swimmer.
I watched that race ... Team USA didn't "lose" it (ie, fail to perform their best). The Frogs won it fair and square. They performed their best, and their best was just a little better than our best. This time.
That's why they run the race ...
Yup....look at the coaching here. Lochte said he did not really know what he was doing. That says it all IMO.
good point
That was one long and lean Frog that swam the anchor lap!
What the heck has happened to the Germans? No medals to speak of so far.
I thought it was Phelps’ fault ? So the media says. And Drudge.
Guess it was because he only left his team with a .79sec lead after his leg of the relay.
They must all be working to pay for the teams from Spain,Greece,Portugal and Italy!
They must all be working to pay for the teams from Spain,Greece,Portugal and Italy!
They need to go back to enforcing rules on the number of foreign players on each team. English teams should have English players, some teams, like Arsenal, don’t even have a single English player in their starting lineup. The Day of Reckoning for Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Manchester United/City and similar clubs is coming, all of these clubs are leveraged up to the hilt.
Don’t they usually put the fastest guy at the anchor?
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