SWIMMING: Olympic great Lochte joins Missouri State coaching staff

Six-time Olympic gold medalist Ryan Lochte will join Missouri State University later this year as an assistant coach for its men’s and women’s swimming teams.

Lochte, 41, is among the most decorated swimmers in United States history. Over the course of four Olympic Games, he won 12 medals, including relay golds at Athens 2004, Beijing 2008, London 2012, and Rio 2016. Only fellow Americans Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky have earned more Olympic swimming medals.

“What stood out to me about Missouri State is the culture,” Lochte said in a statement. “There’s a strong sense of purpose, accountability, and a team-first mentality.”

Born in New York, Lochte competed collegiately at the University of Florida before rising to prominence as one of his generation’s top swimmers. He collected multiple world championship titles across freestyle, backstroke, and individual medley events.

His career also included controversy, most notably during the 2016 Rio Olympics, when he was suspended following a false claim that he and teammates had been robbed at gunpoint.

Lochte later attempted a comeback, but his bid to qualify for a fifth Olympic Games ended at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials for Tokyo 2020, where he finished seventh in the 200-meter individual medley final.

-Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in Mexico City; Editing by Ken Ferris/Reuters