Accident-prone Lochte unfazed by crash
Accident-prone US Olympic champion Ryan Lochte has laughed off a minor scooter crash in the run-up to the Shanghai world championships, saying it was par for the course before major events
Accident-prone Lochte unfazed by crash
Accident-prone US Olympic champion Ryan Lochte Saturday laughed off a minor scooter crash in the run-up to the Shanghai world championships, saying it was par for the course before major events.
Lochte, who won the 200m backstroke title at the 2008 Beijing Games, is expected to be one of the biggest rivals to US legend Michael Phelps in Shanghai in the 200m individual medley.
But his championships were almost over before they started after the crash in June in which he hurt his knee -- the latest in a line of freak accidents that have plagued the 26-year-old.
"It was an unfortunate accident. Luckily no one got really injured. It was me and a buddy. We were actually headed to morning practice and we were on a scooter and we swerved out of the way because a car was coming," Lochte said.
"We swerved out of the way of the car and we skidded on this loose gravel on the road and kind of just went flying.
"I got a little banged up, he got a little banged up but we're all good now. Every year I have a tendency to get injured before major competition so it's not really a shock for me, it's kind of quite normal but I always recover fast so I guess I'm heading in the right direction."
Other accidents include a foot fracture in another scooter accident before the 2007 worlds, and a twisted ankle while chasing his dog before the 2008 Olympic trials. In 2009, he hurt his knee break-dancing and needed surgery.
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