RYAN Lochte earned worldwide villain status for falsely alleging he had been held up at gunpoint in a gas station after a boozy Brazilian night-out. But for Scotland’s Mark Szaranek, the US swimming legend is a good mate and an inspiration who would deserve at least a small share of the credit if he were to go on and win a medal here in the Gold Coast.
Having both been attached to the Florida Gators swim team, the two men are currently training partners based out at the University of Florida. Szaranek – and another Florida Gators’ alumnus Dan Wallace – go in the 400m individual medley tomorrow and the Kirkcaldy-born 22-year-old reckons his form has only increased since coming into close contact with Lochte, a 33-year-old who already has more than 75 World and Olympic medals on his resume.
“Last week I had the NCAAs which is the big college meet out in Minneapolis but this is my last year on a college team so it was kind of sad, my last ever meet,” said Szaranek. “But we have a pro group training out there right now, a couple of other former college guys so I will stay there and train until the Olympics [in Tokyo in 2020]. What I’m doing right now is working for me, so why change it?
“Ryan Lochte is back in training with us now,” added the Scot, whose Polish heritage comes through his grandparents. “He’s on the comeback and that adds something else to training, definitely,” says Szaranek. “He’s so good. So good. He’s a great guy, too.
“To have him be as good as he was in 2008 and 2012, when I was just a young guy looking up to him, and now be training next to him in the same lane every day, it’s amazing. And we push each other. It’s not like he runs all over us every day.
“He’s going to be back at the Olympics. He’s in great shape and ready to go. The first day when he turned up for training was something else. I had never really spoken to him before, just said hello once or twice at a meet because I was wearing a Florida Gators cap and he has the history of training there. But now I would say we’re pretty good friends.
“ He came up to support us at the NCAAs, he’s been training with us and supporting us. He got to know a bunch of the guys and wanted to be there for us. When I get back to Florida after the Games, I’ll be straight back in training with him every day. He would definitely deserve a wee bit of the credit if I get a medal here. Because all your team-mates push you, every single day.”
Szaranek has kept his Scottish accent well, and has been welcomed into the Team Scotland fold, but his Florida pedigree should give him some insight at least into conditions at the outdoor Optus Aquatic Centre during Queensland’s rainy season, where the odd tropical storm is forecast in the next few days.
“That would just add to the fun, if it rains,” said Szaranek. “If the lightning comes, we have to move inside. But we’ll swim outside in the rain, no problem. We just need to avoid the lightning. That wouldn’t be good. But if the Aussies don’t like it then bring it on!”
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