DOES MICHAEL PHELPS FAILURE TO MEDAL TRULY USHER IN RYAN LOCHTE'S TIME TO SHINE AT THE 2012 OLYMPICS ?............

One of the first significant showdowns at the 30th Olympiad, Summer Games in London, came last night when Americans sixteen time Olympic swimming medalist, Michael Phelps, and his surging team mate and rival, Ryan Lochte, faced off in the 400 meter individual medley competition.  Phelps struggled to gain a place in the 400 meter contest, winning the preliminary qualifying swim by just seven tenths of a second.  That was a foreshadowing of the difficulty he had in the official Olympic medal awarding competition, placing fourth for the first time since the Sydney Olympics in 2000, out of medal contention.  Ryan Lochte won the Gold Medal, with a time of 4 minutes 5.8 seconds; delivering on his words in pre Olympic Games interviews that, "This is my time".  The next two weeks will show how competitive the Lochte-Phelps rivalry remains, and if indeed the era of Ryan Lochte has begun in Gold Medal Olympic Swimming.  Americans should rightfully be proud of both of these two fine swimmers and the enjoyment their mastery of the pool past and present continues to bring............Fr.  Troy