Ryan Lochte: Breaking Down American Star's Biggest Competition in Each Race

Although Michael Phelps is still face of American swimming, Ryan Lochte has a golden opportunity to assume that role with a great showing in London. He came away from the Beijing Games with two golds and two bronzes, but he could possibly win five gold medals this year as he is a top contender in each event he is competing in.

Lochte is 27 years old and very much in his prime, so the London Olympics will probably be his best chance to rise to the pinnacle of the sport. He has often outperformed Phelps during the lead-up to the Olympics, but Phelps didn't amp up his training until fairly late in the process.

With that said, Lochte will have to contend with Phelps and many other strong competitors in each of his events. Here is Lochte's biggest competition in all of five of his disciplines as he attempts to be the United States' next gold standard.

200-Meter Freestyle

The 200-meter freestyle was won by Michael Phelps in London, but with Phelps deciding not to compete in the event in 2012, Lochte has become the de facto favorite. It would be a fairly big upset if Lochte doesn't come out on top, but he'll still have to swim his best race to win.

His main rival figures to be German Paul Biedermann. Lochte's qualifying time blew away pretty much everyone, but Biedermann is closest.

Lochte qualified four-tenths of a second better, which is a fairly wide margin, but when they're racing each other, it could be a different story. Biedermann does hold the world record in the event, which he set in Rome back in 2009, so he has that on his side.

If Biedermann can't best Lochte, then the only other threat is China's Sun Yang as he qualified just slightly slower than the German.

200-Meter Backstroke

The 200-meter backstroke is considered by many to be Lochte's specialty as he is the best in the world by a huge margin. Lochte won gold in the event in Beijing and he seems likely to do so again in London.

Lochte's main competition was former American gold medalist Aaron Piersol, who holds the world record, but Piersol won't be competing in the Games, so Lochte is pretty much home free.

Barring a catastrophic, unforeseen mistake being made in the race, Lochte should cruise to victory. The closest qualifier was Poland's Radoslaw Kawecki, but he was still more than two seconds behind the American.

Beijing's results would suggest that Russian Arkady Vyatchanin is the guy Lochte should look out for since he took bronze in 2008, but I expect this one to be a breeze for the laid-back Lochte.

200-Meter Individual Medley

Lochte may have a couple of races where he nabs the gold easily, but the 200-meter individual medley isn't one of them. Lochte is the current world record holder as he set it almost exactly a year ago in Shanghai, but he will have to deal with his fiercest rival in countryman Michael Phelps.

Lochte is the slight favorite, but Phelps finished a little more than a tenth of a second slower than Lochte in qualifying, so he certainly has what it takes to upend Lochte.

Phelps won this event in Beijing, while Lochte took the bronze. There is actually another swimmer who could stand in Lochte's way as well, and that swimmer is Hungary's Laszlo Cseh. The Hungarian star was sandwiched between Phelps and Lochte in 2008 as he won the Olympic silver.

Lochte seems to have clearly passed him by, but if he and Phelps focus too much on each other, then Cseh could do some damage.

4x200-Meter Freestyle Relay

The 4x200-meter freestyle relay will be Lochte's only team event in London, and it is one that he has really excelled in over the years. Lochte is a two-time defending gold medalist in the event as he was part of the winning American team in both Beijing and Athens.

The United States has a great chance to triumph once again, but Lochte won't have the benefit of Phelps as the anchor this time around since he opted not to compete.

That means Ricky Berens, who was also on the 2008 team, will have to step up. In terms of who can give Lochte and his team a run for their money, Russia is a logical answer. The Russians won the silver in Beijing and will field almost the exact same squad, so they'll know what to expect.

Also, while the Australian team is young and inexperienced, the Aussies always perform well in relays, so they'll be tough.

400-Meter Individual Medley

There is no question that the 400-meter individual medley will be Lochte's most grueling race of the Olympics, and it will be one of his most competitive as well.

Much like the 200-meter individual medley, Phelps and Cseh are going to be Lochte's main rivals. Phelps holds the record in this event by a wide margin as he set it in Beijing, but Lochte qualified nearly a second better for the London Games in this particular event.

Phelps won the 400-meter IM in 2008 with Cseh taking silver and Lochte winning the bronze. This race depends more on stamina than anything, and it's fair to say that Lochte has the advantage over his competition in that regard.

Phelps' training wasn't as intense as it was during the lead up to Beijing, so you have to wonder if he has what it takes to beat Lochte. Phelps is a different animal on the Olympic stage, though, so Lochte must be wary.

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