Ryan Lochte’s Rise to Fame

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March 30, 2007

The 6-foot-2 chiseled champion waves to fans while fellow USA swimmer Aaron Peirsol looks on at the FINA World Championships in Melbourne, Australia. Lochte broke Peirsol's world record at the event, and would do the same at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

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February 12, 2008

"We do have the best bodies I think," Lochte, who modeled Speedo swimwear during a brand presentation in NYC, has said when asked whether or not he considers himself and his teammates as sex symbols.

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August 14, 2008

At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, the Floridian nabbed his first individual gold medal for the 200-meter backstroke event in addition to setting the world record for the race, replacing defending champ, USA swimmer Aaron Peirsol.

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July 25, 2009

"If I beat him, I beat him. If I don't, I don't," Lochte tells Us about competing against his longtime Olympic teammate and friend, Michael Phelps. "At the end of the race, I'm still going to be the same person I was. I'm not going to hold a grudge on him or anything. I'm just going to go about having fun with life.

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August 18, 2010

"I'm not going to give up anything for it," Lochte tells Men's Journal of not letting his sport define who he is. "I'm still going to be exactly who I am and have fun with life. There's a lot of swimmers out there who make swimming their life, but for me, it's just a sport that I do."

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April 12, 2011

"I really want to get into designing my own business suits," the aspiring menswear designer tells Us. "I've designed a couple suits for myself that I've worn in the past. I have a good idea of what I want and need to use. It's not just a normal business suit, it will have more of a rock star look to it."

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June 17, 2011

Don't let the smile fool you. Even though Lochte is good at maintaining his game face, he's the first to admit when he needs some R&R. "I just want some down time," the athlete told Us ahead of the London Games. "I want to be able to go somewhere without a phone, without anyone hassling me, and just relax."

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June 25, 2012

"It's possible, anything's possible," the champion swimmer tells Us of rumors that he could nab up to nine gold medals at this summer's Games. "But I'm not really looking at going after that record -- I'm just going to go out there and do what I love to do and swim."

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June 30, 2012

"I think overall, I'm just a lot older, smarter, and a better athlete than I was going into Beijing," he assures Us. "I changed my diet and I started doing heavier weight lifting."