[REAL VERSION] London 2012

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Phelps and Lochte Talk 400 IM Showdown

Lochte beat the 14-time Olympic gold medalist by nearly a second

By Christina Hernandez
|  Wednesday, Jun 27, 2012  |  Updated 7:44 PM EDT
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Miami's Ugliest Athletes

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Ryan Lochte (L) and Michael Phelps of the United States celebrate after breaking the world record setting a new time of 6:58.55 seconds in the Men's 4x 200m Freestyle Final during the 13th FINA World Championships at the Stadio del Nuoto on July 31, 2009 in Rome, Italy.

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Michael Phelps has been a household name for years, but another Olympian hasn’t reached the same fame.

Ryan Lochte is a six-time Olympic medalist and may be better known for his good looks than his fast times.

On Monday, the 27-year-old beat Phelps in the 400-meter individual medley by nearly a second.

“That was a pretty good swim,” Lochte said. “I felt really comfortable. Me and Phelps just made sure our last wall was really good and actually kicked in gear the last 50."

Both Lochte, a University of Florida graduate, and Phelps qualified for London in the event.

It was first time Phelps swam that specific race at a major meet since he won the gold in Beijing four years ago. The 14-time Olympic gold medalist, although beat, was still happy having made what he called “a decent time.”

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“I think the biggest thing about trials is just making the team,” Phelps said. “For the Americans, this is a very stressful meet and anybody in the field can win a medal or be in the finals, so I really think you're trying to set yourself up for a good race here that can help you move to a good race in the next couple of weeks."

The pair will duel in the pool again Wednesday night, giving Lochte the chance to beat the greatest swimmer in the world one more time.

“I'm definitely going to go out a lot harder and still have those turns that I have and just kind of hope for the best," Lochte said.

The two will race in the 200-meter butterfly Wednesday on NBC 6 at 8 p.m.

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Posted Jun 27, 2012
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