Ryan Lochte facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Ryan Lochte

Lochte in 2018
Personal information
Born	(1984-08-03) August 3, 1984 (age 41) Rochester, New York, U.S.
Height	6 ft 2 in
Weight	195 lb
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Strokes	Backstroke, freestyle, individual medley
College team	University of Florida
Medal record Men's swimming Representing the  United States Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 6 3 3 World Championships (LC) 18 5 4 World Championships (SC) 21 10 7 Pan Pacific Championships 8 4 0 Pan American Games 1 0 0 Olympic Games Gold 2004 Athens 4×200 m freestyle Gold 2008 Beijing 200 m backstroke Gold 2008 Beijing 4×200 m freestyle Gold 2012 London 400 m medley Gold 2012 London 4×200 m freestyle Gold 2016 Rio de Janeiro 4×200 m freestyle Silver 2004 Athens 200 m medley Silver 2012 London 200 m medley Silver 2012 London 4×100 m freestyle Bronze 2008 Beijing 200 m medley Bronze 2008 Beijing 400 m medley Bronze 2012 London 200 m backstroke World Championships (LC) Gold 2005 Montreal 4×200 m freestyle Gold 2007 Melbourne 200 m backstroke Gold 2007 Melbourne 4×200 m freestyle Gold 2009 Rome 200 m medley Gold 2009 Rome 400 m medley Gold 2009 Rome 4×100 m freestyle Gold 2009 Rome 4×200 m freestyle Gold 2011 Shanghai 200 m freestyle Gold 2011 Shanghai 200 m backstroke Gold 2011 Shanghai 200 m medley Gold 2011 Shanghai 400 m medley Gold 2011 Shanghai 4×200 m freestyle Gold 2013 Barcelona 200 m backstroke Gold 2013 Barcelona 200 m medley Gold 2013 Barcelona 4×200 m freestyle Gold 2015 Kazan 200 m medley Gold 2015 Kazan 4×100 m medley Gold 2015 Kazan 4×100 m mixed freestyle Silver 2007 Melbourne 100 m backstroke Silver 2007 Melbourne 200 m medley Silver 2007 Melbourne 400 m medley Silver 2013 Barcelona 4×100 m freestyle Silver 2015 Kazan 4×200 m freestyle Bronze 2005 Montreal 200 m backstroke Bronze 2005 Montreal 200 m medley Bronze 2009 Rome 200 m backstroke Bronze 2011 Shanghai 4×100 m freestyle World Championships (SC) Gold 2004 Indianapolis 4×200 m freestyle Gold 2006 Shanghai 200 m backstroke Gold 2006 Shanghai 200 m medley Gold 2006 Shanghai 400 m medley Gold 2008 Manchester 100 m medley Gold 2008 Manchester 200 m medley Gold 2008 Manchester 400 m medley Gold 2008 Manchester 4×100 m freestyle Gold 2010 Dubai 200 m freestyle Gold 2010 Dubai 200 m backstroke Gold 2010 Dubai 100 m medley Gold 2010 Dubai 200 m medley Gold 2010 Dubai 400 m medley Gold 2010 Dubai 4×100 m medley Gold 2012 Istanbul 200 m freestyle Gold 2012 Istanbul 100 m medley Gold 2012 Istanbul 200 m medley Gold 2012 Istanbul 4×100 m freestyle Gold 2012 Istanbul 4×200 m freestyle Gold 2012 Istanbul 4×100 m medley Gold 2014 Doha 4×200 m freestyle Silver 2004 Indianapolis 200 m medley Silver 2006 Shanghai 4×100 m medley Silver 2008 Manchester 200 m backstroke Silver 2008 Manchester 4×100 m medley Silver 2010 Dubai 4×200 m freestyle Silver 2012 Istanbul 200 m backstroke Silver 2014 Doha 200 m backstroke Silver 2014 Doha 200 m medley Silver 2014 Doha 4×50 m freestyle Silver 2014 Doha 4×100 m medley Bronze 2004 Indianapolis 200 m freestyle Bronze 2006 Shanghai 4×100 m freestyle Bronze 2006 Shanghai 4×200 m freestyle Bronze 2012 Istanbul 100 m butterfly Bronze 2014 Doha 200 m freestyle Bronze 2014 Doha 100 m medley Bronze 2014 Doha 4×100 m freestyle Pan Pacific Championships Gold 2006 Victoria 4×200 m freestyle Gold 2010 Irvine 200 m freestyle Gold 2010 Irvine 200 m backstroke Gold 2010 Irvine 200 m medley Gold 2010 Irvine 400 m medley Gold 2010 Irvine 4×100 m freestyle Gold 2010 Irvine 4×200 m freestyle Gold 2014 Gold Coast 4×200 m freestyle Silver 2006 Victoria 100 m backstroke Silver 2006 Victoria 200 m medley Silver 2014 Gold Coast 100 m butterfly Silver 2014 Gold Coast 4×100 m freestyle Pan American Games Gold 2003 Santo Domingo 4×200 m freestyle Representing the Florida Gators Event 1st 2nd 3rd NCAA Championships 7 1 3 Total 7 1 3 By race Event 1st 2nd 3rd 100 y backstroke 0 1 0 200 y backstroke 2 0 0 200 y medley 2 0 0 400 y medley 1 0 1 4×200 y freestyle 1 0 0 200 m medley 0 0 1 400 m medley 1 0 0 4×200 m freestyle 0 0 1 NCAA Championships Gold 2004 East Meadow 400 m medley Gold 2005 Minneapolis 200 y backstroke Gold 2005 Minneapolis 200 y medley Gold 2005 Minneapolis 4×200 y freestyle Gold 2006 Atlanta 200 y backstroke Gold 2006 Atlanta 200 y medley Gold 2006 Atlanta 400 y medley Silver 2005 Minneapolis 100 y backstroke Bronze 2003 Austin 400 y medley Bronze 2004 East Meadow 200 m medley Bronze 2004 East Meadow 4×200 m freestyle

Ryan Steven Lochte (born August 3, 1984) is an American swimmer and a 12-time Olympic medalist. He is one of the most successful swimmers in Olympic history. Only Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky have won more Olympic medals. Lochte's seven individual Olympic medals are the second-most for any male swimmer.

Lochte currently holds the world record in the 200-meter individual medley. He also shares the world record in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay with his American teammates. His success has earned him many awards, including World Swimmer of the Year. In total, he has won 90 medals in major international competitions.

Lochte is an expert in the backstroke and individual medley. He is also a talented freestyle and butterfly swimmer. He is known for his powerful underwater kicking, which gives him great speed.

Early Life and College Career

Lochte swimming in a 2009 meet

Ryan Lochte was born in Rochester, New York. His family moved to Florida when he was 12 so his father could coach swimming. At first, Lochte did not take swimming seriously. But after losing a race at the Junior Olympics when he was 14, he decided to change. He said, "I'm sick of losing," and began to train hard.

Lochte attended the University of Florida, where he was a star on the Florida Gators swim team. He was named the NCAA Swimmer of the Year twice and won seven NCAA championships. He also set American and NCAA records in several events.

International Swimming Career

First Olympics and World Championships

Lochte competed in his first Olympic Games in 2004 in Athens, Greece. He won a gold medal with the 4×200-meter freestyle relay team, which included Michael Phelps. They beat the Australian team, which had not lost that race in six years. Lochte also won a silver medal in the 200-meter individual medley.

At the 2007 World Aquatics Championships, Lochte won his first individual gold medal in a long-course (50-meter pool) event. He broke the world record in the 200-meter backstroke. He also helped the U.S. team set a new world record in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay.

2008 Beijing Olympics

Lochte (left) with Phelps (center) and Cseh (right) after winning a bronze medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics.

At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Lochte won four medals. He won his first individual Olympic gold medal in the 200-meter backstroke, setting a new world record. He also won a gold medal and set another world record with the 4×200-meter freestyle relay team. In addition, he won two bronze medals in the 200-meter and 400-meter individual medley events.

World Champion and Record Breaker

Lochte at the 2009 National Championships

At the 2009 World Aquatics Championships, Lochte won four gold medals and one bronze. He set a world record in the 200-meter individual medley. He also helped the U.S. 4x100-meter and 4x200-meter freestyle relay teams win gold.

In 2010, Lochte was named World Swimmer of the Year. At the 2011 World Aquatics Championships, he had an amazing performance, winning five gold medals. He set a new world record in the 200-meter individual medley, a record that still stands today.

2012 London Olympics

Lochte after the 200m backstroke at the 2012 Olympics.

Lochte had another successful Olympics in London in 2012, winning five medals. He won a gold medal in the 400-meter individual medley, beating his rival Michael Phelps. He also won gold with the 4×200-meter freestyle relay team. He added two silver medals and one bronze, bringing his total Olympic medal count to 11.

2016 Rio Olympics and Controversy

At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Lochte won another gold medal with the 4×200-meter freestyle relay team. This brought his total to 12 Olympic medals, making him the second-most decorated male Olympic swimmer ever.

However, his time in Rio was marked by a major controversy. Lochte claimed that he and three other American swimmers were robbed. Later, it was revealed that the story was "over-exaggerated" and that there had been a dispute at a gas station. Lochte later apologized for his behavior. As a result, he was suspended from swimming for 10 months.

Later Career and Suspensions

In 2018, Lochte faced another setback. He was suspended from competition for 14 months by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. He had received an intravenous (IV) infusion that was larger than the rules allowed. Even though the substance in the IV was permitted, the method was not.

Lochte returned to swimming and tried to qualify for the 2020 Summer Olympics. He competed in the U.S. Olympic Trials in 2021 but did not make the team. After the trials, he said he was not retiring and wanted to continue to be involved in the sport, including teaching kids how to swim.

Life Outside the Pool

Lochte in 2013

Lochte became a well-known celebrity and appeared on several television shows. He was a contestant on Dancing with the Stars and Celebrity Big Brother. He also had his own reality show called What Would Ryan Lochte Do? for one season.

Lochte married Kayla Rae Reid in 2018, and they have three children together. The couple divorced in March 2025.

Images for kids

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  Lochte after the 200m freestyle semifinal at the 2015 World Championships.

See also

In Spanish: Ryan Lochte para niños