If Ryan Lochte was making the decision on his own, he'd definitely swim each of the 11 events he's entered into at the U.S Olympic swimming trials, he said during a press conference on June 24, 2012.
But Lochte doesn't think that idea will fly with his coach, Gregg Troy.
"I would swim every event possible. That's what I love to do. I love just getting up on the blocks and racing the people next to you, trying to put your hand on the wall first," Lochte said during the press conference. "It doesn't matter what event, what stroke, I just love to race. I honestly don't know. If I could swim them, I would swim all 11, but I don't think my coach would allow that."
In many of the events, Lochte would have to swim three times -- in a preliminary, semifinal and final heat -- to qualify for the Olympic team. That's a lot of swimming, and even if he did attempt to swim all 11 events, there are some in which Lochte would be highly unlikely to qualify.
The 27-year-old said he definitely plans to swim the 200- and 400-meter individual medleys, the 200-meter freestyle and the 200-meter backstroke. When it comes to the other seven events, Lochte said he will decide later.
Lochte is the world record holder in the 200 individual medley and the reigning world champion in all four of the events he's promised to swim. He heads into the Olympic trials ranked No. 1 in each of the four events.
The events Lochte has not yet decided on include the 100-meter breaststroke, ranked 26th; 100-meter backstroke, ranked fourth; the 400-meter freestyle, ranked 30th; 200-meter butterfly, ranked 99th; the 100-meter freestyle, ranked sixth; the 100-meter butterfly, ranked fifth; and the 50-meter freestyle, ranked 111th. The top two swimmers in each event qualify for the Olympic Games.
At the Olympic trials, swimmers can enter into every event for which they have qualified, and it's common for high-level athletes to enter several events and elect not to swim them all. The extra events are used as insurance events in case something unforeseen happens in the early days of the trials.
The preliminary and final heats of Lochte's first event, the 400 individual medley, is scheduled to be contested June 25 in Omaha, Neb.
Sandra Johnson was a competitive swimmer for more than 15 years before she began coaching. She is a longtime Olympic fan, and while working for the United States Olympic Committee in Colorado Springs, Colo., she had the opportunity to immerse herself in the Olympic Movement. Follow her on Twitter: @SandraJohnson46
