OMAHA — They formed a receiving line as if at a wake, celebrating Ryan Lochte one last time at the U.S. Olympic trials Friday night after his long swimming career appeared to die of natural causes.
Lochte, 36, the second-most decorated American male Olympian, missed qualifying for a fifth trip to the Summer Games, falling short in the 200-meter individual medley, his signature event. He finished seventh, nearly three seconds behind Chase Kalisz, who grabbed the second qualifying spot behind the winner, Michael Andrew.
Andrew was timed in 1 minute 55.44 seconds, well off Lochte’s world record of 1:54, which he set in 2011.