Lochte nabs sixth gold medal

Ryan Lochte threatened his own world record as he won the 200m individual medley at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships on Saturday night.

Lochte notched the third-fastest time in history as he won in 1min 54.43 sec, showing that he could challenge the world mark of 1:54.10 that he set last year before high-tech bodysuits were banned.

“I wasn’t really focused on getting the world record, I was just focusing on swimming tough,” said Lochte, who claimed his sixth gold in four days.

However, Lochte said he did want to show that not all of the world marks set last year – when the bodysuits contributed to a re-writing of the sport’s record book – are as far out of reach as some have said.

“I just wanted to prove to everyone that it could happen,” Lochte said. “If I’d just taken one or two more dolphin kicks I would’ve had it.”

Behind Lochte, team-mate Tyler Clary won the battle for silver with a time of 1:57.61, edging Brazil’s Thiago Pereira who took bronze in 1:57.83.

Former world record-holder Michael Phelps opted out of the event, choosing to focus on his butterfly leg in the 4x100m medley relay.

That paid off as Phelps overtook Masayuki Kishida after Junya Koga and Kosuke Kitajima had given Japan a slim lead going into the butterfly.

Swimming the freestyle anchor leg, American Nathan Adrian sealed the US victory in 3:32.48, with Japan second in 3:33.90 and Australia third in 3:35.55.

The United States enjoyed another big night, winning six of 10 events.

Adrian also pipped world record-holder Cesar Cielo in the 50m freestyle.

Adrian ran down the Brazilian in the closing metres of the one-lap sprint to win in 21.55sec. Cielo, the Olympic and world champion, was second in 21.57 and Canada’s Brent Hayden was third in 21.89.