Open Court: Overcoming a legend

Ryan Lochte is one of the best swimmers any of us will ever see.

This week, he has posted some mind-boggling times at the Olympic qualifiers in Omaha. He will head to Beijing and likely return to America with a substantial amount of hardware.

Athletes like Lochte command the spotlight once every four years. Everything has to peak at exactly the right time if they’re going to make their mark.

For Lochte, he’s in his physical prime. His technique is flawless. The total package — the Bob Costas puff-pieces, the Wheaties box, the endorsements — should be within his grasp, except for one inescapable detail.

There happens to be a once-in-a-generation athlete who is just a little better.

The other day, I was watching these Olympic trials with my girlfriend — a former All-State swimmer at Catalina Foothills. She follows this stuff much more closely than I do, so she did a wonderful job bringing me up to speed and pointing out the subtle nuances that separate good swimmers from great ones.

During commercial breaks, we must have seen a half-dozen ads featuring Michael Phelps, the bread-and-butter of NBC’s marketing efforts. Had Lochte’s prime come eight years earlier or eight years later, it’d be his face in all of these Visa ads.

Lochte would’ve set the world record in the 400 individual medley on Tuesday, but Phelps edged him out at the wall.

It was at that moment when I realized Lochte might have to settle for being the Phil Mickelson to Phelps’ Tiger Woods.

This phenomena is unique to individual sports, where the accomplishments of a remarkable performer are unfairly forgotten due to the exploits of a transcendent athlete.

I hope Lochte uses the platform in Beijing to establish a rivalry with Phelps instead of succumbing to the immense pressure that comes with battling an all-time great.

Locthe should take a minute out of his busy swimming schedule to pop in on today’s men’s final at Wimbledon.

Rafael Nadal has spent much of his career in the same position as Lochte — dominant, yet overshadowed by a mythic figure.

Nadal owns the clay — much like Lochte in the backstroke — but has yet to topple the great Roger Federer on any other surface.

Many tennis experts believe this will finally be the day Nadal bests Federer on grass, even though Federer has won a phenomenal five straight Wimbledon titles.

If Nadal can finally get over the hump, perhaps that can help inspire Lochte, Mickelson, or any other athlete who seen their prime coincide with a legend in the making.

nprevenas@gvnews.com | 547-9747