Ryan Steven Lochte is a skilled American competitive swimmer who has placed second in the sport behind Michael Phelps with 12 medals (six gold, three silver, and three bronze) won at the ‘Olympic Games’ so far. This talented swimmer has won 90 medals over the years while competing in events like the ‘Olympics,’ the ‘Pan Pacific Swimming Championships,’ the ‘Pan American Games,’ and the ‘FINA World Championships,’ of which 54 are gold, 22 are silver, and 14 are bronze. She specializes in the individual medley and backstroke. In the 200-meter individual medley (long and short course) and the 400-meter individual medley (short course), he now has two world records each. As a member of the US national teams, he also holds the record for the 4×100-meter freestyle (mixed) relay and the 4×200-meter freestyle (long course). He has three times been named “FINA Swimmer of the Year” and has also been given the “World Swimmer of the Year Award.” During the 2016 “Summer Olympics,” he was implicated in the “Lochtegate” affair, and again in July 2018, when the “US Anti-Doping Agency” banned him from competitions for 14 months for getting a “prohibited intravenous infusion.”
Early Childhood & Life
He was born on August 3, 1984, to Steven R. Lochte and Ileana “Ike” (née Aramburu) in Rochester, New York. His four siblings include younger brothers Brandon and Devon, as well as older sisters Megan and Kristin.
His early years were spent in Bristol, New York, where he attended the “Bloomfield Central School.” When he was five years old, his parents—who are also swim coaches—started teaching him how to swim. His family moved to Gainesville, Florida when he was 12 years old so that his father could start working as a swimming coach.
Although he was just casually interested in swimming when he was younger and preferred to focus on basketball and skateboarding, he started to take swimming seriously in junior high school. At the age of 14, he finished last in the “Junior Olympics,” which changed his outlook and motivated him to work hard.
Achievements University Level
In 2007, he received a degree in sport management from the “University of Florida.” He trained under Olympic swimming coach Gregg Troy as a member of the “Florida Gators” swimming and diving team from 2004 to 2007 while competing in the “National Collegiate Athletic Association” (NCAA) and the “Southeastern Conference” (SEC).
He won the SEC championship seven times, the NCAA championship seven times, and the NCAA Swimmer of the Year award twice while swimming for his collegiate team. Additionally, he was a 24-time ‘All-American’ athlete.
He won national titles in all three of his individual events during his senior year at college, setting records in the 200-yard backstroke and the 200-yard individual medley at the 2006 “NCAA Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships.” He beat Tom Dolan’s previous ‘NCAA’ record for the 400-yard individual medley.
Career in International Swimming
During the 2004 “US Olympic Team Trials,” he earned the right to represent the United States in the “Olympics.” Together with Phelps, Peter Vanderkaay, and Klete Keller, he captured the gold in the 4200-meter freestyle relay at the 2004 ‘Summer Olympic Games’ in Athens, Greece, and the silver in the 200-meter solo medley. At the 2004 “FINA Short Course World Championships,” he also took home gold in the 4200-meter freestyle relay, silver in the 200-meter individual medley, and bronze in the 200-meter freestyle.
At the 2005 “World Aquatics Championships,” he took home gold in the 4200-meter freestyle relay with Phelps, Keller, and Vanderkaay as well as bronze in the 200-meter individual medley and 200-meter backstroke events.
During the 2006 “FINA Short Course World Championships,” he won three individual gold medals and set new championship records in the 200-meter backstroke, 200-meter individual medley, and 400-meter individual medley. He broke the previous world record for the 100-meter backstroke by finishing the distance in 50 seconds during the first leg of the 4100-meter medley relay.
On March 30, 2007, at the “World Aquatics Championships,” he broke Aaron Peirsol’s world record in the 200-meter backstroke event and defeated him to win his first solo gold medal. This was his first world record in a long-course competition. Along with setting a world record and earning gold in the 4200-meter freestyle relay alongside Phelps, Keller, and Vanderkaay, Lochte also won three individual silver medals throughout the event.
He set a world record in the 200-meter backstroke event at the 2008 ‘Summer Olympics’ in Beijing, China, winning a gold medal for himself. He also took home two bronzes in the same competition. Along with Phelps, Ricky Berens, and Vanderkaay, he also took home the gold in the 4200-meter freestyle relay, setting a new world record time of 6:58.56.
He earned 13 international medals in 2010. These comprised six gold medals from the 2010 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships (four individual medals). The 2010 “FINA Short Course World Championships” saw him become the first athlete in the history of the competition to capture seven medals (six gold and one silver).
He was named the “World Swimmer of the Year” and the “American Swimmer of the Year” in 2010 by Swimming World and the “FINA Male Swimmer of the Year” by FINA Aquatics World. The following year, when he won five gold medals and one bronze at the 2011 “World Aquatics Championships,” he again received comparable accolades from the two magazines. He triumphed in the 200-meter individual medley race with a time that set a new world record of 1:54.00.
He earned two gold medals, two silver medals, and a bronze medal in the 2012 “Summer Olympics” in London, UK. He earned three gold medals and one silver in the 2013 “World Aquatics Championships” the following year.
In the 200-meter individual medley competition at the 2015 “World Aquatics Championships,” he took first place. With Grant Hackett being the only other swimmer, he became the only other swimmer to win an event in four straight world championships.
Along with Phelps, Conor Dwyer, and Townley Haas, he captured the gold in the 4200-meter freestyle relay at the 2016 ‘Summer Olympics’ in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
When he falsely claimed that he and three members of the US swim team—Jack Conger, Jimmy Feigen, and Gunnar Bentz—were stopped and robbed by armed robbers disguising themselves as police officers while they were in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for the 2016 ‘Summer Olympics,’ he became embroiled in a global controversy. The swimmers had peed outside a gas station restroom, and Lochte had damaged a framed poster, it was later discovered. Additionally, it was discovered that they had paid the gas station security officers for their bothersome behavior.
Lochte was accused of reporting a crime fraudulently in Brazil, however, the charge was later dropped in July 2017 by a Brazilian court. The controversy that ultimately came to be known as the “Lochtegate” scandal also resulted in a 10-month punishment for him.
When the “US Anti-Doping Agency” banned him from competition for 14 months in July 2018 for obtaining a “prohibited intravenous infusion” in May of that year, he once more became the subject of controversy.
Other Activities of Ryan Lochte
He has appeared in advertisements for the Nissan Altima and has sponsored companies like AT&T, Nissan, Procter & Gamble, Gillette, and Speedo. Additionally, he has appeared on the covers of Time, Men’s Journal, Vogue, and Men’s Health.
What Would Ryan Lochte Do?, an American reality television program, included him. His life and his training for the 2016 “Summer Olympics” were chronicled in the show. ‘E!’ broadcast the eight-episode season of the show from April 21 to May 27, 2013.
Additionally, he made an appearance in the episode named “Stride of Pride” of the American mockumentary TV show “30 Rock.” He made an appearance in the American adolescent drama “90210” as a guest actor. Additionally, in 2016, he made an appearance in season 23 of the American dancing competition program “Dancing with the Stars.”
Individual Life of Ryan Lochte
During the 2016 “Summer Olympics,” the accomplished swimmer revealed his relationship with model and “Playboy Playmate” Kayla Rae Reid. In October 2016, the two announced their engagement, and they wed in January 2018. On June 8, 2017, their son Caiden Zane was born.
Net Worth of Ryan Lochte
The estimated net worth of Ryan Lochte is $1 million.