Does anyone know who Ryan Lochte?

I didn't know that. Now that you said it, I know. Probaby you know him personally. Looking for Ryan Lochte in the swimming news, shows him as being born in August 1984, being 6' 2" tall and 168 pounds, being from Daytona Beach in Florida, going to university in Florida, having done 1:50.59 in 200 meter freestyle Long Course in 2002, and much more... I guess the very fast 1:50.59 as a barely 18 years old, positions him for improvement towards making the US Olympic Team in 2004. Nonetheless, I am wary about him going from a successful club coach who co-produced (with Ryan) the 1:50.59, to a new coach at the university...

Actually Ryan's coach at the pool in Daytona Beach was his dad! Coach Steve(Ryans dad) is a great coach! I am also from Daytona Beach, florida and swam with him a couple of times in practice! Although I am a little younger than him, and I didnt go of to college w/him so I dont get to swim w/him alot anymore! bummer Ryan's a great swimmer!

Originally posted by greenhairchica ... Coach Steve(Ryans dad) is a great coach! ... Ryan's a great swimmer! Alecia, the way I see Ryan's biggest strength, it is not in distance (8:11.47 in 800 meters free Long Course in 2002, which is very good, after a 8:19 in 2001), but in sprints and in the smallest middle-distance (like the almost top-notch 1:50.59 in 200 meters free Long Course in 2002, at barely 18). Now, in the 2004 US Olympic Trials, in the 200 meters free, I can see Klete Keller and Nate Dusing taking the two individual spots in about 1:46 and low 1:47. There remains four more spots in the 4 x 200 free relay team. I think the sixth time, and the last qualifying time, will be mid 1:48. It is possible that Josh Davis will take one spot. The remaining three spots in the US 4 x 200 free team, will be a battle between veterans like Chad Carvin, Scott Goldblatt, and new champions like Dan Ketchum, Jeff Lee, Ryan Lochte, Davis Tarwater, Fran Crippen, Aram Kevorkian, and some fast newcomers (in the style of how Tommy Hannan did pop up at the 2000 Trials). Probably, Michael Phelps, Tom Malchow, John Cole, Larsen Jensen and Scott Tucker will focus on other events. So, for Ryan to improve from 1:50.59 at age 18 in 2002 to low 1:48 in 2004, that's feasible, given the coach is good -like Coach Steve is according to you-. In any event, that's a good adventure. One to enjoy for a lifetime.

Gee, Ion you pay attention to a look of swimmers out there. How about Louis Vayo is he going to get better or mainly be a swimmer that makes nationals and places at the NCAA's or Deberry a distance freestyler is he the same.

I found Louis Vayo in the swimming news. I didn't find Deberry in the swimming news. Louis Vayo did 2:04.07 in 200 back Long Course in 2002, as a 17 years old swimming in the summer nationals. That's very good so far, and in progress. I remember that Tobias Oriwol (Can) did 2:00.xx in 200 back Long Course in 2001, as a 16 yers old, which is surprisingly good, and is an example of why swimming faster is unexplainable to people looking for the secret. Tobias swam in 2002, in 2:01 high, so he doesn't know it either. In this example, I don't know enough, in order to predict an improvement from the very good 2:04 to a stellar 1:57, in the 200 meters backstroke. In the case of my previous post, where I predicted a win in the 2004 US Olympic Trials in the 200 meters free by Klete Keller, the prediction is still an almost blind guess based on Keller having swam a 1:47.10 in 2001 under coach Schubert (the coach of Erik Vendt), on Thorpe (Aus) swimming it in 1:44, on Thorpe and Keller being of similar heights (6'5" and 6'6"), and on Keller having moved from California to Michigan in order to train full-time (no university classes or any other activity) under coach Urbanchek and challenge Thorpe. Coach Jon Urbanchek produced champions Gustavo Borges (Bra), Eric Namesnik (US), Marcel Wouda (Ned), Tom Dolan (US) and Tom Malchow (US). So I have more background on Keller, and made an almost blind guess that he is going to do 1:46 in the Trials, 1:45 or 1:44 in the Olympics, while Thorpe will win the Olympics in 1:43. What I do know so far, is that there is nothing wrong with Louis Vayo becoming very good in the NCAAs, making the summer nationals, and training to improve. On the contrary: that's success. One backstroker who was very good in the NCAAs and is making now the top eight in the summer nationals in 100 meters backstroke, is Michael Gilliam from Tennessee. He is admirable to me. Along with becoming good in the NCAAs and making the summer nationals, the 2002 international rankings show that Louis Vayo is in the company of Florea (Rom) -who is ranked #11 in the world with 1:59-, Tobias Oriwol (Can), raising Alex Lim (Malaysia), Stev Theloke (Ger), Orn Arnarsson (Isl), Mark Versfeld (Can), and many other notorious competitors. To me, to be good in the NCAA and making the summer nationals, that's the equivalent of a player in any field (sports, bussiness, technical, medical) who is above average.