Tag: Ryan Lochte

Former Gator, Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte auctioning off six medals

Ryan Lochte took home plenty of medals after competing in four Olympic Games, and now he’s ready to let a few of them go (for some cash, of course).

Behind Michael Phelps, [autotag]Ryan Lochte[/autotag] is the most decorated swimmer in Olympic history with 12 medals (six gold, three silver and three bronze). Six of those, the bronze and silver ones, are up for auction, according to the Associated Press.

This is no money-making grab, though. Lochte gave the medals to a third party and everything earned goes “straight to the charity.” The medals are being sold in three lots by RR Auction in Boston and bidding ends July 21. The charity selected is the Jorge Nation Foundation.

The first lot contains a silver medal, Lochte’s first individual Olympic medal, from the 200-meter individual medley at the 2004 Athens Games. Its estimated value is $10,000 or more.

Lot No. 2 is a pair of bronze medals from the 2008 Beijing Games where Lochte placed third in the 200 IM and 400 IM. The estimated value is $12,000 or more.

The third lot is valued at $60,000 or more and contains three medals from the 2012 London Games, two silvers (200 IM and 4×100 freestyle relay) and a bronze (200 backstroke). Also for sale is a 14k white gold Olympic ring and a Breitling watch with black diamonds that Lochte bought for himself after the London Games.

When asked why he was parting ways with the medals, Lochte admitted that they weren’t of much personal value to him.

“I’m not one to be all sentimental about medals,” Lochte told The Associated Press. “My medals are just sitting in my closet collecting dust. The memories that I have is what means the most.”

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Decorated former Florida swimmer failed to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics

Ryan Lochte’s historic swimming career will likely come to an end. The 36-year-old swimmer failed to qualify for the Olympics this summer.

Former Florida swimmer Ryan Lochte had the unfortunate luck that he shined and competed in the same time period as one of the best to ever do it, Michael Phelps. His arch-rival finally retired after the Rio 2016 Olympics where he finally had the chance to have the spotlight all to himself.

That went up in smoke after he finished seventh on Friday in the 200-meter individually medley final at the U.S. Olympic Trials, his strongest last chance to compete in a fifth Olympics games. The 36-year-old Lochte was attempting to become the oldest U.S. Olympic male swimmer in history.

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He will always be remembered for his 12 Olympic medals, six for gold, but also the embarrassing international incident with Brazilian security guards at a gas station during the Rio Olympics. He spent five years trying to escape that shadow.

Lochte grew up from that incident and when he spent six weeks in rehab for alcohol addiction during a 14-month ban following an IV infusion of an illegal amount of a legal substance in May of 2018.

To train for this year’s Olympics, he reunited with his old coach at Florida Gregg Troy told The Athletic that he has noticed a more mature Lochte. He will most likely conclude his swimming career as the second-most decorated Olympic male swimmer behind Phelps.

After Lochte finished his final race in Omaha, Nebraska, he stepped out of the pool, hugged and congratulated the winner Michael Andrew.

“This ain’t the end of the road,” Lochte said, according to The Athletic. “There’s a lot more I want to accomplish in the sport of swimming, whether it’s in the pool or outside of the pool making swimming bigger — that’s my biggest goal. But I’m enjoying it. I’m having fun teaching these younger kids everything that I’ve learned and carrying the torch.”

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Why the Tokyo Olympics are different for American swimmer Ryan Lochte

After a scandal at the Rio Olympics in 2016, Ryan Lochte was ready to move on from the sport. A new perspective on life has Lochte focused on Tokyo.

After a scandal at the Rio Olympics in 2016, Ryan Lochte was ready to move on from the sport. A new perspective on life has Lochte focused on Tokyo.