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Excited Broadcaster Calling Phelps 'Lochte' In Last Race Will Make You Cringe

by Oliver McAteer
REUTERS/Twitter

Look, I'm no Olympic commentator, but surely the golden rule is to know who you're commentating on.

Canadian broadcaster Elliotte Friedman managed to mix up Ryan Lochte and Michael Phelps in their final race together.

Brace yourself for unbearable cringe. The kind of cringe that will make you physically recoil.

Because this wasn't a split second error, he fully believed Michael Phelps was Ryan Lochte for pretty much the entire race.

As Phelps breaks away from the group to win gold (again!) the commentator says,

Phelps doesn't look like he has this one in him. Ryan Lochte, going for his for his 13th career medal, saving the best for last. Finally he's going to do it: Ryan Lochte is going to beat Michael Phelps in this event in the games, and Phelps might not even make the podium.

The race ends and there's a good 10-second pause.

Then the penny drops, and he says,

I apologize. I got my lanes mixed up.

Ah, man. That's so tough to watch.

I don't mean to name and shame Elliotte, we all make mistakes. But here's the guy who blew it on national TV:

YouTube

He knew he done wrong:

Thursday night marked the fourth time Phelps won the 200-meter individual medley.

He came in with a time of 1:54:66 seconds. Lochte still holds the world record at 1:54:00.

Before the race, Phelps said,

Things starting hitting me this morning. I thought, "Wow, I only have to put a racing suit on two more times after tonight and I only have to warm down one more time after tonight." Those little tiny things I've been saying to Bob every day. It's like wow, tonight's my last 200 ever. That's a very exciting one.

It was the last Olympic race Phelps and Ryan Lochte will take part in together. But we hope the bromance lives on out of the H2O.

Lochte has hinted at taking a break after these Olympics, which made this romantic dinner for two even more special:

Phelps took home the gold in the 200m butterfly, 4x100m freestyle relay, 4x200m freestyle relay and the 200m individual medley.

[olympics]