'Even sold Olympic medals...' The fallen swimming emperor starts anew as a coach with a 45 million won salary... "I'm too happy"

*This content was translated by AI.

Ryan Lochte (43), once known as the 'Swimming Emperor,' is starting anew as a university swimming coach. This is not a humble retreat. After enduring a long tunnel of depression, drug use, and divorce, Lochte confessed, "I finally feel happiness."

In an interview with the New York Post on the 17th (Korean time), Lochte revealed he has taken on the role of assistant coach for the swimming team at Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri. The coaching position comes with a salary of only $30,000 (approximately 45 million won). Given Lochte's glamorous athletic career, this may seem like an unexpected choice, but he stated that it has helped him find vitality in life.

Lochte was a representative swimmer for the United States alongside 'legend' Michael Phelps. He competed in the Olympics four times, starting with the 2004 Athens Games, followed by the 2008 Beijing, 2012 London, and 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, winning six gold medals, three silver medals, and three bronze medals. Notably, Lochte also holds the world record in the men's 400m freestyle relay.

However, Lochte's decline continued afterward. In 2016, during the Rio Olympics, he made a false claim about being robbed, which sparked a major controversy. As a result, he received a 10-month suspension and lost major sponsors from global companies due to the damage to his image. At the time, it was reported that Lochte suffered annual losses of $2 million (approximately 30 thousand won).

Furthermore, Lochte faced the shocking result of failing to make the U.S. swimming team for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Overwhelmed by deep frustration, Lochte had to battle depression. He recalled, "I lost all the fire within me. I couldn't see the end of this tunnel. I thought I was a failure. At that time, I looked in the mirror every day and asked myself, 'Who am I?' It was really hard, and I spent several years like that."

Lochte also admitted to relying on alcohol and drugs during this difficult period. As a result, his family relationships collapsed, and he is reportedly going through a divorce from his currently separated wife, Kayla Rae Reed. The couple has three children together.

However, Lochte was able to rise again thanks to his new girlfriend, Molly Gillihan. Gillihan, who is a kindergarten teacher and a mother of three, provided Lochte with significant emotional comfort. He said, "Gillihan opened her heart to me. She didn't even know I was an Olympic athlete. She just wanted to know about me. They loved me, and I loved them. Thanks to them, I feel like I've put down the heavy burden on my shoulders," expressing his gratitude.

Lochte also took the university swimming team coaching position through Gillihan's introduction. Although the low salary became a major topic, Lochte stated that the amount of money was not important. He explained, "I wanted to prove to myself that I could do this. The fire to be the best while swimming burned within me. I want to help others reach the dreams and goals I had when I was young."

Recently, Lochte sold his nine Olympic medals, earning approximately $385,000 (about 500 million won). However, he drew a line, stating that he did not sell the medals due to financial problems. Lochte said, "(It's not about the medals,) the process of achieving them is what matters. In fact, the medals were just gathering dust in a drawer. Many people said I was in debt, but that is incorrect. While I do have debts, I sold the medals because I didn't need them. I accomplished something difficult, and I cherish the memories of that."

Lochte also expressed gratitude to his friend Phelps. He said, "People think we can get back up fine even if we fall off a cliff. But that's not true. We are just people. We simply trained and worked harder than anyone else to get to this point." He added, "Phelps has also experienced depression. He helped me a lot. He is a truly good friend, and we still talk once or twice a month."

Finally, regarding his marriage plans with Gillihan, Lochte said, "I will absolutely commit 100%. I can't not do it. She is my best friend. In the past, I dated many women and even got married, but I never had a partner who was both my best friend and the woman I loved. However, I found that with Gillihan. It is true love. We are a power couple, and we can achieve anything in the future."

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.