2021 Atlanta Classic: Ryan Lochte Drops 400 IM No. 3 Seed for 200 FR C-Final

2021 ATLANTA CLASSIC

Friday Finals Heat Sheet

After hitting 4:21.68 in the 400 IM to rank 10th in the US this season, 36-year-old Olympian Ryan Lochte has favored the 200 free C-final after posting 1:52.88 during this morning’s prelims session. Lochte’s season best sits at 1:50.27, which ranks 30th in the US this season. His season best is also 0.62s off the Wave II Trials cut of 1:49.65.

No. 10 seed Andrew Abruzzo of UGA also dropped the IM race after posting 4:27.79 this morning. Instead, Abruzzo will contest in the 200 free B-final with his 1:51.21 seed. Leading the men’s 200 free will be Florida’s Kieran Smith with his US No. 1 time of 1:46.30.

Preferring the 400 IM A-final is Florida’s Grant Sanders, who swam 4:23.33 to land the third seed after Lochte’s scratch. Sanders is a mere 0.09s off the Wave II cut of 4:23.24. Earlier in the prelims session, Sanders swam 1:52.00 to place 17th overall in the 200 free, well off the Wave I cut.

Another top-10 scratch was Florida’s Kathleen Golding, dropping her No. 7 seed of 2:01.80 in the 200 free in favor of the 400 IM. This morning, Golding swam 4:49.66 to place 4th overall in prelims, which is 1.94s off the Wave II cut of 4:47.72. Leading the women’s IM race is 18-year-old Summer Smith and her lifetime best of 4:43.43.

Night One Top-20 Scratches:

  • Women’s 200 Free: #7 Kathleen Golding
  • Men’s 200 Free: #17 Grant Sanders
  • Women’s 100 Breast: #16 Bailey Bonnett
  • Men’s 100 Breast: –
  • Women’s 100 Fly: #15 Avery Bargeron
  • Men’s 100 Fly: –
  • Women’s 400 IM: –
  • Men’s 400 IM: #3 Ryan Lochte, #10 Andrew Abruzzo, #13 Daniel Gallagher, #14 Will Scholtz, #15 Seth Maschmeier

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A C
3 years ago

Fyi, I read elsewhere on swimswam that Lochte went 1:51.10 on Friday night.

Stanley Warren
3 years ago

Lochte probably stopped at gas station before his “race.”

MIKE IN DALLAS
3 years ago

JUST GIVING NOTICE: HAVING NEVER BEEN A LOCHTE fan, I think we are seeing the Swan Song [swims] of a great champion who squandered much of what he had in the post-Rio debacle. Yes, of course, people forgive and forget: the point, however, is that his swimming has never recovered from the ‘in your head’ issues which it created, IMHO.

rsgnsf
Reply to  MIKE IN DALLAS
3 years ago

Don’t ever count Lochte out till he’s really out.
Just sayin’

Last edited 3 years ago by rsgnsf
Coach Johnson
Reply to  rsgnsf
3 years ago

I totally agree ,never count , The 🦁

Ol’ Longhorn
Reply to  MIKE IN DALLAS
3 years ago

On the scale of things today, the Rio “debacle” was, as the former guy’s son loved to say, a nothing burger. Would’ve been a weekend news cycle today. The ALL CAPS kinda reminds me of the former guy.

Cate
Reply to  Ol’ Longhorn
3 years ago

It’s only a nothing burger if you fit the description of the ugly American. It wasn’t a nothing burger to them.

Jack
Reply to  MIKE IN DALLAS
3 years ago

I see where you’re coming from, but it’s important to remember that he has always looked really, really pedestrian in-season and tapered like a monster. He went a 1:59 200 IM a few meets ago, and as hard as it is to believe from a guy who’s been 1:54.0, I don’t think he’s ever been under that in-season before.

Even in like 2011, if you saw him at a non-taper meet after somehow magically having all memory of him wiped from your brain, you’d be like, “Oh that guy’s pretty fast. He might even make it out of prelims at Olympic Trials if he really nails his taper!”

So, I mean, I just don’t know what this summer holds… Read more »

ArtVanDeLegh10
Reply to  Jack
3 years ago

He never used to swim fast in season but he always wore a brief. Guys swim much faster in a jammer.

He will definitely drop some time but I don’t think you compare his in season times because of the suits he wore.

Jotolo
Reply to  ArtVanDeLegh10
3 years ago

In season his Jammer is lined with lead! 🙂

Mr Piano
Reply to  MIKE IN DALLAS
3 years ago

This season is icing on the cake for his legacy. Although it will be really nice if he gets redemption by having a good season, his legacy is already secured as one of the greatest swimmers ever. Lochte in his prime was a monster in the pool. And although Lochte has made plenty of mistakes throughout his life, he’s also shown a lot of compassion and humility toward people.

A C
Reply to  MIKE IN DALLAS
3 years ago

Trust the taper.

WahooFan
3 years ago

Ryan is breaking all the masters records for his age group!

About Nick Pecoraro

Nick Pecoraro

Nick has had the passion for swimming since his first dive in the water in middle school, immediately falling for breaststroke. Nick had expanded to IM events in his late teens, helping foster a short, but memorable NCAA Div III swim experience at Calvin University. While working on his B.A. …

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