London 2012: Why Ryan Lochte Will Overtake Michael Phelps as Top American

Move over Michael Phelps, because Ryan Lochte is now the U.S. Olympic team’s top eligible bachelor. Oh, and best swimmer too. After playing Luigi to Phelps’ Mario in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Lochte is more than ready to capture and captivate fans at this summer’s London Olympics and become the world’s new king of the pool.

There is no denying Phelps’ greatness. The all-time leader in Olympic gold medals with 14, he will end his career as the most accomplished Olympian of all time.  Phelps will retire after London, but do not count on him going out on top.

Since Phelps dominated Beijing, compiling a record eight gold medals, Lochte has been the world’s top swimmer. Phelps trained gingerly for three years post-Beijing, with his partying and questionable decision-making well documented (and captured). Phelps is back in the competitive mindset now, but Lochte has undoubtedly “won the offseason” in the period between Olympic Games.

Why? Not only has Lochte cut his McDonald's habit and continued to train extensively in the pool, but he has also taken to unique methods to improve his strength. Four-hundred-pound chains and 650-pound tires seem better suited for a monster truck repair shop than a swimmer’s training regimen. Yet, Lochte has incorporated these brutal training tools to improve his core strength and stamina.

The results of Lochte’s recent competitions have gone, well, swimmingly.  Lochte finished third behind Phelps (and Hungary’s Laszlo Cech) in Beijing, a trend that started at Athens in 2004. After over half a decade of standing below Phelps on the medal stand, Lochte finally got over the hump and defeated his rival in the 200-meter individual medley at the 2010 National Championships.

It all come together in 2011 for the former Florida star and fashionista. Lochte took gold in all five individual events he entered at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships, defeating Phelps in the 200-meter IM again as well as the 200-meter freestyle.

Yesterday, Lochte once again prevailed over Phelps, this time in the 400-meter individual medley at the U.S. Olympic Trials. His unorthodox training showed results in the race, as Lochte’s stamina proved to be the deciding factor in the race as he pulled away from Phelps in the final 100 meters.

The results of the trials, which conclude next Sunday, will reveal more on the state of Phelps and Lochte. While Phelps peaked in 2008, he still remains dominant in the butterfly and will not easily slide into the status of second banana on the swimming scene.

When it comes to the medal count in swimming, numbers do not lie. So while Phelps may bring home his fair share of medals this summer, Lochte is entered in 11 events at the Olympic Trials and could end competing in eight or nine in London. Phelps will be competing in a maximum of seven, so Lochte will have, at the least, more opportunities to make it to the medal stand.

As intriguing as the concept would be, fans do not want to root for a swimming robot. The image of Phelps screaming with intensity and exhilaration as he racked up gold medal after gold medal in 2008 was one of the more iconic images from Beijing.

Lochte will shine if thrust into the Olympic spotlight, but in a different way. Lochte has graced the cover of fashion magazines GQ and Vogue, and was event called an "Olympic Sex Symbol” in a recent feature in the New York Times. Looks do not rewrite record books, but there will be no shortage of advertisements and features involving Lochte during NBC’s Olympic coverage.

Phelps dominated in Beijing, but the rest of the swimming world will fear a new American superstar in London. It has been eight years coming, but it is now Lochte’s turn to seize the title of the world’s top swimmer.