Catching up with Ryan Lochte

<p><b>The Basics...</b></p><p>Ryan Lochte, from Daytona Beach, is a 6-foot-1 senior on Florida's seventh-ranked men's swimming team. Lochte became somewhat of a local celebrity when he won two medals at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.</p><p><b>Accomplishments... </b></p><p>Lochte is best known for winning a gold medal in the 800 freestyle and a silver medal in the 200 individual medley at the 2004 Olympic Games. Collegiality, Lochte is an 18-time All-American who has won NCAA championships in the 200 backstroke, 200 individual medley, 800 freestyle and 400 IM.</p><p>Lochte has also won Southeastern Conference titles in the 200 IM, 200 backstroke and is a two-time 400 IM conference champion. Lochte was also the 2005 World Champion in the 400 freestyle and was last season's SEC male swimmer of the year.</p><p><b>Lochte On... </b></p><p><li><b>FACING No. 22 ALABAMA FRIDAY AND No. 1 AUBURN SATURDAY IN THE O'DOME:</b> We're pumped. Auburn is the best in the nation so there will be a lot of good races. I hope we win.</p><p><li><b>HOW HIS 2004 OLYMPIC EXPERIENCE CHANGED HIM:</b> I think it motivates me just because when I step on the blocks I know I've been somewhere where a lot of people haven't been. I think it pushes me. Basically, I'm pretty much going off the Olympics and the emotion I drew off of it. Even though it's been so long I still draw off it.</p><p><li><b>BEING RECOGNIZED AFTER RETURNING FROM THE ATHENS GAMES:</b> I didn't really get recognized that much. I get a lot of fan mail and stuff like that. But I'm pretty much the same person as I was before I left.</p><p><li><b>THE AMOUNT OF FAN MAIL HE RECEIVES:</b> I get real letters like people sending me pictures of myself and I sign them. I try to answer all of my fan mail.<b></p><p></b>n <b>HIS WEBSITE (www.ryanlochte.net): </b>Actually one of my fans did that for me. I thought that was cool. I met him at a swim meet one time. He showed up. I said, 'thanks.'</p><p><li><b>HOW HE FEELS ABOUT THE ATTENTION HE HAS RECEIVED SINCE THE OLYMPICS:</b> I like it because I did something really special and I like being recognized for it. But I wouldn't mind if people forgot about it. It wouldn't make a difference to me if people didn't know that I was in the Olympics. It was cool that I was in the Olympics and got recognized for it and get fan mail for it because I like fan mail, but I wouldn't mind if people didn't know, either.</p><p><li><b>WHAT SPORT HE PLAYS OUT OF THE POOL:</b> I'm pretty good at basketball. I play basketball a little bit. I guess if you're a swimmer you're pretty much athletic all around. Playing another sport is not that hard.</p><p><li><b>HOW MUCH TIME SWIMMERS SPEND IN THE WEIGHT ROOM:</b> About two or three hours in a week. It depends.</p><p><li><b>HIS PLANS AFTER UF:</b> I'm going to stay here and finish up college and keep on training until the 2008 Olympics. Hopefully, I'll do better than I did in 2004. I hope I do good.</p><p></p>