What happens when Ryan Lochte teaches reporter to swim

Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte teaches USA TODAY Sports' Nicole Auerbach how to master the individual medley. USA TODAY Sports

CHARLOTTE — I’d told Ryan Lochte that I defined my swimming skill level as, “Capable of not drowning.” He laughed, but I think he really feared the worst — that I’d need floaties or something to make it through our swim lesson.

I’d thought it’d be pretty fun to have an 11-time Olympic medalist teach me each of the four strokes — freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly — that have made him one of the greatest swimmers on the planet. I’d never swam competitively, so I barely knew anything about technique beyond freestyle, which most people know. And I could tread…