"I used to do a lot of that stuff just for fun," Lochte said.
Fun, in fact, still dictates a majority of Lochte's choices. He suffered a hairline fracture in his ankle while skateboarding months before the 2007 FINA World Championships in Melbourne, Australia, and he still broke a world record in the 200-meter backstroke. When he finished second in the 200-meter individual medley to Phelps, he wore a set of diamond-studded grills on his teeth as he took the medal stand. Phelps couldn't keep a straight face, even as the national anthem was playing.
At the Golden Goggles Awards in January, he wore a white suit with a black shirt and red tie that made him look like a casino owner. Other than winning a gold medal, he would like nothing more than the chance to skateboard on the Great Wall while in China. He likes playing with his dog, which he named Carter as a tribute to rapper Lil' Wayne, his favorite musician. At the University of Florida, one of his favorite activities was egging houses.
"I'll try anything if it's fun," Lochte said. "It's like at world championships when I wore those grills. That's just me. It wasn't me trying to show off; it's just me having fun."
All that goofing around tends to mask an intense focus in the pool. Phelps has seen it up close more often than anyone else.
"As a competitor, when we're both standing behind the blocks, we both want to win," Phelps said. "We both love what we do. I think when we're out of the pool, we can both joke around. I think we both know when to turn it off, and when to focus."
Lochte's greatest strength might be that he doesn't overthink life, in or out of the water. And unlike a lot of swimmers, he believes he can go faster than Phelps.
"Honestly? I really don't feel like swimmers feel like that," Lochte said. "I bet there are some, but he's so dominant in everything he swims, most swimmers are just trying to get second because they don't feel like they can beat him. That's definitely not the case with me. I always feel like I can beat him."
He'll have his first shot tomorrow in the first race of the Olympics. If Phelps doesn't swim his best, expect Lochte to steal the win and break the hearts of every NBC Sports executive.
If he finishes second, well, no big deal.
"I'd like to win every event I swim," Lochte said. "That would be amazing. I've done all the work, and I'm really confident I can do that. If I don't, I don't, and it's not the end of the world. I'll still be able to surf when I get home, and skateboard."
kevin.vanvalkenburg @baltsun.com
