Lochte Fails to Qualify for 200 Free Final at US Nationals

STANFORD, Calif. (AP) — Ryan Lochte failed to qualify for the 200-meter freestyle final at the U.S. national championships.

The 12-time Olympic medalist finished 37th in the preliminary heats Thursday with a time of 1 minute, 50.25 seconds.

Lochte is competing this week for the first time since the recent end of a 14-month suspension for receiving an infusion of vitamin B-12 above the allowable limit.

Elijah Winnington of Australia won the 200 free in 1:46.19.

Allison Schmitt, an eight-time Olympic medalist, won the women's 200 free in 1:56.97. Olympic champion Katie Ledecky is resting after last week's world championships in South Korea.

Schmitt swam 1.3 seconds faster than she did at worlds, where she was 14th.

"It definitely shows me where I'm at for the summer, what I have to work on for the next year," she said.

Madisyn Cox won the 200 breaststroke in a personal best 2:23.84 for her first national title. She was suspended last year after failing a drug test. Cox's ban was reduced from two years to six months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport after she argued that her positive test was the result of a legal multivitamin that had been contaminated.

Cox was forced to miss last year's U.S. nationals, which was the qualifying meet for last year's Pan Pacific championships and the recent worlds — the two biggest international meets before the 2020 Olympics.

Asia Seidt claimed the women's 200 backstroke in 2:08.90.

In other men's events, Reece Whitley won the 200 breast in 2:09.69 and Austin Katz won the 200 back in 1:55.72.