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Associated Press

Ryan Lochte walks slowly into the room, a bulky brace on his left knee. He still has that same goofball demeanour, that same unique sense of fashion, but the signs of change are all around.
He is hobbled by the most serious injury of his career. He is adjusting to a new home in North Carolina. And there is that 30th birthday looming in August.
"As you get older," Lochte said, "your body doesn't get any younger. I've started to realise that."

	I didn't want to see him come here and get on the party train and pull others with him

	Dave Marsh
Lochte is an 11-time Olympic medallist who would surely be recognised as his generation's greatest swimmer if not for Michael Phelps.
He left his longtime coach and training base in Florida last autumn.

The abrupt move to Charlotte, where he joined the prestigious SwimMAC Carolina programme run by Dave Marsh, was done in typical Lochte fashion.
"I'm not exactly sure how it came about," said Marsh. "I just know he showed up."
"My biggest concern was his impact on the group," Marsh said.
"He has an infectious personality, so people are going to go with him. I didn't want to see him come here and get on the party train and pull others with him - people who don't have the ability to get away with that and still have success."
Lochte would show up at the pool for a training session, then disappear for a week.
As the coach put it, "He was not in shape, and getting in worse shape."
Then, in November, a jarring event seemed to change Lochte's perspective.

An exuberant teenage fan ran at Lochte, who tried to catch her. The two fell over and Lochte hit his left knee on a curb, tearing one ligament and spraining another.
Suddenly, he realised that nothing was a given when it comes to his swimming career.
"That might have been a little bit of an awakening for him," Marsh said.
Showing a newfound dedication, Lochte worked hard to rehabilitate his knee.
Then, at a grand prix meet last month that also marked Phelps' return from retirement, Lochte pushed himself a little too hard.
The knee ached and began to swell. His doctor told him to back off for a while or risk a major setback.
One thing about Lochte: He doesn't back off well. "I'm like Wolverine," he said. "Nothing can keep me down."
If anything, this might be another blessing in disguise, said Marsh.
With Lochte unable to use his legs in training, he can focus on improving his upper body strength and perhaps his biggest weakness - the way he uses his arms to "pull" himself through the water.
"Ultimately," the coach said, "Humpty Dumpty might come back together even better."
When talking about his injury, Lochte, reveals a bit of frailty. "There's always concern," he said. "I never had an injury that set me back like this."
Lochte may have to put the individual medley on the shelf for this year, depriving him of a chance to swim one of his best events at the worlds.
But he was already turning his focus to different races, knowing that he will need to do shorter distances as he moves into his 30s.
A newcomer to Lochte's programme is the 100m butterfly, which puts him on a collision course with rival Phelps, the three-time defending Olympic champion in that event.
"Now that I'm able to compete with him and be up there with him in the 100 fly, it's going to be interesting," Lochte said.
It always is in the world of Ryan Lochte.


Ryan Lochte gets a little glimpse of mortality

Ryan Lochte has a reputation for enjoying a party. Photo: AFP

Ryan Lochte competes in the 100m butterfly final during the Arena Grand Prix swim meet in Mesa, Arizona. Lochte has a brace on his left leg and can only train his upper body, which may be a blessing in disguise. Photo: AP

Ryan Lochte and Michael Phelps have been long-time rivals and the competition between them will only grow more intense. Photo: AFP

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Accidental injury forces legendary swimmerto reassess his attitude to training and lifestyle


Ryan Lochte gets a little glimpse of mortality

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Accidental injury forces legendary swimmerto reassess his attitude to training and lifestyle

Accidental injury forces legendary swimmerto reassess his attitude to training and lifestyle