If Michael Phelps was the talk of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, then former Florida Gator swimming star Ryan Lochte is primed to be the talk of the 2012 London Olympics. Lochte earned his first -- and the United States first -- gold medal of the games on Saturday as he won the 400-meter individual medley race.
Lochte finished with a time of 4:05.18, defeating Brazil's Thiago Pereira who finished with a time of 4:08.86, a difference of 3.68 seconds.
Phelps, Lochte's main competition in the pool, failed to medal as he finished fourth in the event after making news of his own by barely qualifying for the final.
Stick with this StoryStream for all your news and updates on the Florida athletes in the 2012 Olympic Games. For a complete schedule of events and dates medals will be awarded, visit NBC Sports' official Olympic website. For complete coverage from the 2012 London Olympics, keep checking this StoryStream and visit SB Nation's Olympics hub.