Lochte wins nationals’ 200 IM after 14-month ban
STANFORD, Calif. — Ryan Lochte won the 200-meter individual medley at the U.S. national championships, fresh off a 14-month ban.
The 12-time Olympic medalist touched in 1 minute, 57.76 seconds on Sunday — 1.07 ahead of runner-up Shaine Casas — to earn his first national title since 2014. Lochte’s time was quicker than his time-trial effort of 1:57.88 in the event four days earlier, which didn’t count toward qualifying for the national team.
It was the lone victory and only final of the five-day meet for Lochte, who turned 35 a day earlier. He finished 37th in the 200 freestyle preliminaries, fourth in the C final of the 100 butterfly, and scratched the B final of the 100 backstroke.
Lochte was competing for the first time since the recent end of a 14-month suspension for receiving an infusion of vitamin B-12 above the allowable limit.
Madisyn Cox won the women’s 200 IM in 2:10.00 to go with her earlier victory in the 200 breaststroke. She was suspended last year after failing a drug test but went to court to get her ban reduced from two years to six months. She argued that her positive test was the result of a legal multivitamin that had been contaminated.
Ally McHugh won the 1,500 free in 16:05.98. She won the 400 free earlier. Erika Brown took the 50 free in 24.71 seconds.
Ryan Held won the men’s 50 free in 21.87. Bobby Finke won the 800 free in 7:47.58 to add to his earlier title in the 400 IM.