Lochte gets silver; Joyce places 5th

By Scott Pitoniak

Gannett News Service

ATHENS, Greece - Had Ryan Lochte been swimming in a different era, this Olympic experience might have been even more golden. But he's not complaining that he happens to be competing at the same time as the great Michael Phelps.

Lochte, who swam several years for the Monroe Community College Marauders, was quite content to "settle" for a silver medal to Phelps' gold in Thursday night's 200-meter individual medley.

Phelps clearly has made Lochte better, and perhaps Lochte has pushed Phelps to be better, too.

"We had our mind set on going 1-2,'' Lochte said after finishing in 1 minute, 58.78 seconds - 1.64 seconds behind Phelps. "After watching Erik (Vendt) and Michael do it (in the 400 medley earlier this week), I knew I had to do it, too. I had to step up and I did that.''

Lochte now has a silver to go with the gold he won as part of the United States 4x200m freestyle relay team Tuesday.

Another swimmer with Rochester ties, Kara Lynn Joyce, didn't fare quite as well. The former Webster High state swim champion finished fifth in the women's 100m freestyle with a time of 54.54. She was just .14 of a second behind teammate and bronze medal winner Natalie Coughlin.

"I'm happy with the race I swam,'' said Joyce, who was in second place at the halfway point of the race that was won by Australia's Jodie Henry. "I gave it my best shot, and that's all you can ask for.''

Joyce swam a leg on the United States' 4x100m freestyle relay team that won a silver medal last Saturday. The University of Georgia freshman will swim in the 50m freestyle heats and semifinals Friday. The finals are scheduled for Saturday.