Michael Phelps tiptoed into the press conference, taking exaggerated steps with his massive frame. On the podium, Ryan Lochte who was answering a question, looked at Phelps with a flummoxed expression.
A second later, they both burst out laughing.
It was a wonderful moment partially because not thirty minutes ago, both these guys had gone hell-for-leather against each other in the final of the 200-meter IM at the pool at the Aquatics Center in Olympic Park.
Phelps had won, bagging his first individual gold of these Games and showing that there was fight left yet in the greatest Olympian of all time. Lochte, who had announced himself to the Games with a bold ‘this is my time’ was left licking his wounds. With such intense competition, it would be perfectly normal for both to develop attrition towards each other.
But watching them together at the press conference on Thursday night, you could tell that beyond the pool, these guys were the best of friends.
“He is the toughest racer I have ever swum with,” said Lochte. “We have been racing for eight years now and the rivalry that we have created has been tremendous for the sport.
“But the friendship we created also is awesome. Hopefully I will still see him around but I am going to miss racing him,” admitted Lochte as Phelps made his cartoonish entrance.
Their camaraderie was instantly obvious. Lochte was asked whether it was true that in Beijing he ate McDonald’s for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Before he could answer, Phelps was nodding his head vigorously. “I witnessed that,” he said. Lochte laughed and admitted that he was guilty as charged.
“I am definitely eating McDonald’s tonight as well,” said Lochte.
He deserves it too; it was his birthday on Friday.
Phelps was in a mood, happy to joke around with the press. It seemed that winning his individual gold had done wonders to relieve the pressure he must have been under.
“Obviously it was a relief to win an individual gold, and special to ‘threepeat’. I fell short in the first couple of events, but to be able to do something that no male has ever done in the sport is a pretty cool feeling,” said Phelps.
He also admitted that London 2012 would definitively be his swansong.
“There will be no more competitive swimming. There will not be any Masters,” said Phelps. I came over from Bubba [Watson USA Golfer]and he said I’m a good swimmer but still terrible at golf. So maybe I’ll challenge him to swimming and we can go on a golf course after that, that will be my competitive swimming after I’m done,” said Phelps to much laughter.
But the swimming legend was not done. Lochte who had come into the press conference much before Phelps was being excused early. Phelps would have none of it.
“Why does he get to go? He is done. There is no more competition for him! I got two more [races] to go!” he said.
“It’s my birthday, “ said Lochte, before beating a hasty retreat. “I will text you,” he said before heading out.
It was the last time those two shared a podium and so it bought to an end one of the best rivalry the sport of swimming had ever witnessed. London was nowhere near as close as it was built up to be. But then again, London had hardly gone as predicted for either man. Lochte finished with has two golds, two silvers, a bronze, and a fourth. Phelps has two golds, two silvers, one fourth with two more events still to come. But against each other, they are done.
Phelps and Lochte may go down in swimming history as the greatest of rivals but outside of it, they will spend the best part of their lives as the best of friends as well.
-With The Daily Star input
