June 25, 2012; Omaha, NE, USA; Ryan Lochte celebrates after winning the mens 400m final individual medley in the 2012 U.S. Olympic swimming team trials at the CenturyLink Center. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-US PRESSWIRE
LONDON - Every night seemingly brings history at the London Aquatics Centre, which means that every morning brings possibility.
Wednesday, that comes most obviously in the form of Ryan Lochte, who is ready to bounce back after getting beat in the anchor leg of the 4x100-meter freestyle relay Sunday night and not medaling in the men's 200-meter freestyle Monday.
Lochte swam a strong opening leg in the men's gold-medal winning 4x200-meter freestyle relay Tuesday night, making an important contribution to the gold that gave Michael Phelps the most Olympic medals in history. Lochte said he hadn't felt like himself the past two days, but one great swim can change things.
He'll swim in the prelims for the men's 200-meter backstroke and the men's 200-meter individual medley Wednesday morning, and he'll try to get himself in position to medal in another individual event. (He won the 400-meter individual medley on Saturday.)
Phelps, too, will swim in the 200 IM prelims. Those two will go head-to-head for the second and final time these Games on Thursday night.
Also Wednesday morning, Jessica Hardy and Missy Franklin will swim in 100-meter freestyle prelims. Rebecca Soni will start her quest to defend her 200-meter breaststroke gold medal from Beijing as prelims get underway for that event, too.
Finally, the morning will wrap up with the women's 4x200-meter freestyle relay heats.
So many stars. So many prelims. So much possibility.
Nicole Auerbach, USA TODAY