Olympic Swimming 2012: Biggest Rivalries in Men's Competition

The men’s swimming competition at the 2012 London Olympics will feature several heated rivalries, and this will only add to the drama of the events. 

Each race will be fiercely contested, but emotions will run exceptionally high when certain athletes face off.

This is the nature of the Olympics, as four years of preparation all culminates in a performance that lasts no more than a few minutes.

Here are the most exciting rivalries in men’s swimming this summer.

Michael Phelps vs. Ryan Lochte

Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte will face off in the 200-meter and 400-meter individual medley races. These events are sure to be among the most-hyped moments of the Olympics.

At the United States Olympic Trials, Phelps won the 200-meter IM, and Lochte took the 400-meter distance. Neither athlete was able to win by more than a second. 

The two men are the most talented swimmers in the world, and their clashes in London are sure to be epic affairs. 

The two maintain a friendly relationship out of the pool and even partner up to take on teammates in card games, according USA Today’s Erik Brady. Still, the competition will be as fierce as ever when they hit the water this summer.

Michael Phelps vs. Tyler Clary

Ryan Lochte is not the only American who has a rivalry with Michael Phelps.

23-year-old Tyler Clary made some ill-advised comments about the 14-time gold medalist, according to Jim Alexander of the Riverside Press-Enterprise.

"

 

Basically, he was a swimmer that didn’t want to be there. They can talk about all of these goals and plans and preparation they have. I saw it. I know. It’s different. And I saw somebody that has basically been asking to get beat for the longest time.

"

According to ESPN, Phelps and Clary have discussed the inflammatory remarks and put the incident in the past. Still, Phelps will likely want make a statement of his own in the pool when the two face off in the 200-meter butterfly.

Cesar Cielo vs. James Magnussen

Brazil’s Cesar Cielo and Australia’s James Magnussen are the world’s two best sprinters, and they will have two epic clashes in individual events. 

Cielo set the world records in both the 50-meter and 100-meter freestyle races at the 2009 World Championships, but Magnussen is considered to be a swimming phenom.

The 21-year-old Aussie is brimming with confidence heading into the race and said, “No, I’m not afraid of Cielo. I feel like if I can overcome the pressures from back home, I’m sure that I can better my results from last year at World Championships,” via Jason Devaney of NBCOlympics.com.

These two races will provide thrilling action as these two world-class talents push each other.

United States vs. France in 4x100-Meter Freestyle Relay

At the 2008 Beijing games, the 4x100-meter freestyle relay provided the most thrilling moment of the entire Olympiad. 

The drama started when Alain Bernard, the anchor of the French team, said, “The Americans? We’re going to smash them. That’s what we came here for,” via Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports. Those comments were likely on the mind of Jason Lezak when he tracked down Bernard and edged him out in an epic finish.

Lezak will not be on the team in London, but the rivalry will still be alive. The French edged out the Americans at the 2011 World Championships, but still ended up with silver medals as the Australians took the gold.

While there will be no love lost between the French and Americans, all three talented squads will battle in what will certainly be a fascinating race.

Brendan Hansen vs. Kosuke Kitajima

Brendan Hansen’s rivalry with Kosuke Kitajima was likely on his mind when he came out of retirement.

Kitajima defeated Hansen in the 100-meter and 200-meter breaststroke in 2004, then beat the American again in the 100-meter distance in 2008.

Hansen retired after the Beijing games but felt that he needed one more shot at the Japanese gold-medalist. Kitajima was on hand to watch Hansen qualify for the 100-meter breaststroke, and Hansen met his rival with a “big old hug,” according to Jason Devaney of NBCOlympics.com.

Hansen is a light-hearted character, so this is not the type of rivalry that will lead to confrontations. Still, this will be the 30-year-old’s last chance at Olympic glory, and he certainly will leave everything he has in the pool.