We are now five days away from the conclusion of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London and one thing that seems fairly evident, is the elder are preying on the young. We are seeing a lot of former gold medalists and champions winning again, and those were young and favored to win, disappointing. Let's first start with Ryan Lochte, the man was called the future of US Swimming and that this was his Olympic Games. Swimming writers wrote off Michael Phelps for his lack of focus and dedication and that his time as the king of the pool was over. This all seemed totally legitimate, in the past four years Phelps himself had even admitted that he was not as focused until about a year and a half ago. In addition, Phelps had lost to Mr. Lochte multiple times in the 2011 World Championships. Lochte beat Phelps in the 200M freestyle and the 200M medley and was named swimmer of the year by FINA Aquatics World Magazine. So, we head to London, with Lochte again having a more impressive US Swimming trial performance than Phelps, and Lochte annihilates Phelps in the 400M medley, where Phelps didn't even medal. But these games are more than just one race, and Lochte began to fade. Lochte ended up winning one more gold in the 4X200M free relay and two silvers in the 200M medley and 4X100M free relay, which the US should have won, but Lochte got beat on the last 100. Then Lochte placed third in the 200M backstroke, which everyone thought he was going to win. So, Lochte left the games with 5 medals, Phelps left with 6, four golds and two silvers. Phelps won the 200M medley and the 100M medley as well as two relays the 4X100M medley and the 4X200M free. He then got two silvers in the 200M butterfly and the relay he did with Lochte, that should have been a gold if it weren't for Lochte's mediocre final lap. Phelps proved not only that he was the greatest Olympian ever, but that he is the greatest US Swimmer right now.
Now let's take a look at track and field, Usain Bolt broke records in the 100M and 200M. However, starting about a year ago, people started to doubt Bolt's repeat chances when he false started at the World Championships and his Jamaican teammate, Yohan Blake, won the gold and stole the world from Bolt. Yohan Blake also finished with a better time than Bolt in the Jamaican track and field qualifiers in the 100M and 200M races. Usain Bolt heard all the chatter about his good friend Yohan and used it as motivation. Bolt easily won the 100M race only a few days ago, beating his partner Blake, who received the silver. Bolt wasn't finished, in fact the dude doesn't look close to being done, he was basically jogging in the 100M heats in order to get to the finals and he's been doing the same in the 200M heats, (final is Thursday). He's a freak of nature and he's not going anywhere.
Lastly, let's take a look at the dynamic duo in beach volleyball for the United States, Misty May-Treanor and Keri Walsh-Jennings. The combo won gold in beach volleyball in Athens in 2004 and in Beijing in 2008 and it appeared that after 2008 that they were not nearly as interested in the game anymore. May went on the show Dancing with the Stars where she ruptured her Achilles tendon. In fact, after 2008 the two technically split and they didn't come back together until 2011. They also suffered some suprising loses in tournaments along the way to fellow Americans Branagh and Youngs as well as Kessy and Ross. When the team came back together and they decided to go for a third Olympic gold, they were the number three ranked pair, a surprising title for the two time gold medalists. The road for them in these Olympics wasn't nearly as smooth, as they lost their first set ever in an Olympic competition, but they still won the gold, today in fact, against one of their big rivals, the American duo of Kessy and Ross.
I'm not saying that all the champions from Beijing in 2008 that came back to London in 2012 won gold again, but what I am saying, is these athletes are competitors and when they hear the doubt, it fuels them. You can never count out an Olympic gold medalist, trying to repeat again.
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