RIO DE JANEIRO _ The Great Ryan Lochte Experiment is over in Charlotte three years after it began.
Lochte, 32, said Friday at a news conference following his last competition of these Olympics that he had decided to take a break from swimming and then planned to move either to California or Florida to continue training for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
"It's been on my bucket list to move to the West Coast ever since I was a little kid," Lochte said. "So I'm definitely going to get that chance when I get back to the States. So I should be on the West Coast anytime between September and October."
Later in his news conference, however, Lochte said he might return to Gainesville, Fla., where he went to college and based himself throughout most of his 20s. What seemed clear, however, was that Charlotte was no longer in his future.
Lochte is a 12-time Olympic medalist but his results were disappointing by his high standards in these Olympics.
Hampered by a groin injury at Olympic Trials, Lochte only qualified for one individual event. He then finished fifth in that event, the 200 individual medley, Thursday night. Lochte's only medal of these Olympics was a gold in the 4x200 relay as he was again overshadowed by longtime friend and rival Michael Phelps.
Lochte did not burn any bridges on his way out of the Queen City, where he moved in 2013. "I think moving to Charlotte was the right choice for my swimming," he said. He also complimented SwimMAC Carolina and head coach David Marsh.
Lochte mostly sounded tired, saying he needed a vacation from swimming and saying he needed to get his smile back.
He said he would likely end up training wherever his friend and fellow Olympian Conor Dwyer decided to go. And, since it was Lochte and he doesn't mind talking about his dating life, he also fielded a question in his news conference about whether he was listed on the dating app Tinder. He said he was.
