Remember that dude on the left in the picture above? His name is Michael Phelps. It's likely that the last time you heard from that goofy-looking guy was when The News of the World published a photo of him enjoying what we're sure was medically prescribed marijuana.

Well, now he's back to swimming and at last week's world championships in Shanghai he showed that he's slowly gaining back the form that won him a record eight gold medals back in 2008 at the Beijing Olympics. The problem is, the guy on the right of that picture will be in London next summer too.

It has been three years since Phelps captivated the world by breaking Mark Spitz's record and taking home an unprecedented haul of gold medals. While the 14-time Olympic champion has taken it easy and really not pushed himself since then, Ryan Lochte has done the exact opposite. While he's known as a bit of a free spirit and is as unconventional as it gets outside of swimming, when Lochte gets in the pool he's a serious competitor.

Lochte's star has been on the rise over the past year. After losing head-to-head to Phelps in the 200 and 400-meter individual medleys 20 straight times over seven years at major events, Lochte finally edged him out in the 200 IM at the U.S. Nationals last summer. Then, two weeks later at the Pan Pacific Games he won six gold medals. Many thought at that moment he had surpassed Phelps as the world's best swimmer.

The 27-year-old Lochte is no stranger to the Olympics. He took home individual gold in the 200 backstroke at the Beijing Games, while adding a gold in the 4x200 relay, and bronze in both the 200 and 400 IMs. In 2004 at the Athens Olympics, Lochte won gold in the 4x200 relay and silver in the 200 IM. But "The Lochtenator" (can we please think of another nickname for him?) knows that next summer could be his chance to etch his name in the history books as Phelps has already done.

Last week in Shanghai, Phelps and Lochte went head-to-head again, but this time Phelps was serious. After years of blowing off training sessions, the 26-year-old says he is once again focused. His goal is to be at his best in London next summer. Over the past eight months, Phelps has put down the golf clubs, shoved aside the distractions and put all his energy into preparing for what will likely be his final Olympics.

If last week's events were any indication, the duel between Phelps and Lochte could be the story of the 2012 Olympics. Lochte and Phelps went head-to-head twice, and Lochte got the better of his friendly rival both times. He topped Phelps in the 200 free and set a world record in the 200 IM, which was the first record to be broken since high-tech bodysuits were banned in 2009. Overall Lochte left the competition with six medals, five of them gold (one bronze), while Phelps won four golds, two silvers and a bronze.

Right now, Lochte is the man to beat in the swimming world, there's no doubt of that. But we all know what Phelps can do when he's properly motivated. As it stands, Lochte will likely enter eight events in London: the 100 and 200 backstrokes, the 200 and 400 IMs and the U.S.'s three relays. Phelps has not revealed how many events he will participate in, but he has said it will be fewer than eight.

Next summer, with both men hopefully at their best, we might see the most captivating matchup at an Olympics since close friends and (UCLA track teammates) Rafer Johnson and C.K. Yang went toe-to-toe in the Decathlon at the 1960 Olympics in Rome.

I, for one, can't wait.

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If you are one of those people who enjoys Olympic basketball and still thinks about the Dream Team, the NBA lockout could put a kink in your plans. If the lockout continues and the upcoming NBA season is cancelled, the Players' Association will almost certainly pressure the players to bail on the 2012 USA Olympic team.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, the NBA and USA Olympic team are too intertwined for NBA players to take part in the 2012 London Games. He refers to Team USA as a "David Stern production," adding that while it will be a sticky public relations situation there's no way NBA players and coaches could represent Team USA while the labor situation is uncertain. Jerry Colangelo, the managing director for USA Basketball, works under Stern. Additionally, the NBA’s biggest sponsor is Nike, which is also the top sponsor of Team USA.

After a disappointing 2004 performance in Greece that resulted in a bronze medal, the star power returned to Team USA and Mike Krzyzewski led a rejuvenated squad to a gold medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. While USA Basketball will not be a top priority until a new NBA collective bargaining agreement is hammered out, it would be disappointing to see USA Basketball take yet another fall from grace.

H/T to I am a GM

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Wednesday, July 27 marks one year before the opening ceremony for the Olympic Games in London. Preparing to host the Olympics is not easy. Among the requirements are building event venues, ensuring proper security and making travel for all guests as easy as possible.

And while there is plenty left for London to do, it looks like they're right on track to host the games.

Organizing committee chairman Sebastian Coe says London is "pretty much where we would want to be at this point in the project. The Olympic Park venues are in large part built, but there's a mountain of work still to do to turn them into sporting theaters, and the money raised to stage the games."

More than one million tickets for the men's and women's soccer tournaments remain unsold, and many venue tests remain, but everything seems to be progressing nicely.

London plans to unveil some of the progress on Wednesday when it officially opens its aquatics center and shows off the medals. Ceremonies will take place at the new Olympic Park:

"The heart of the Games is the East End where an impressive 2.5 square-kilometres Olympic Park has been built in the Stratford district, dominated by the 80,000-seat Olympic Stadium, site of the opening and closing ceremonies and the athletics events.

The area's infrastructure includes 8,000 new flats, Europe's largest shopping mall and an urban recreational area."

They left out that the world's largest McDonald's is also being created to satisfy the appetites of the guests. Even though the Olympics staffers don't feel like they'll be able to enjoy things until 2013, it appears as if they're on track to host the games which begin next summer.

RELATED: Is London security ready for possible terrorist threats?

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It's been a rough week for 14-time Olympic champion Michael Phelps. Not only did he lose to teammate Ryan Lochte in the 200-meter freestyle at the Swimming World Championships Tuesday, he also forgot his practice trunks. Luckily Australian swimmer Eamon Sullivan was there for assistance.

"Had to loan forgetful Michael Phelps my training togs for his warm up tonight. Hope they bring good luck buddy... PS - you can keep them!" Sullivan wrote on twitter.

Sullivan then tossed in the picture you see above of Phelps wearing the Aussie trunks, saying it's "as close as you will ever see Michael Phelps swimming for Australia!

Yup, that is as close as we'll get to seeing Phelps swimming for Australia. It's also a much closer look at Phelps' backside than I ever wanted to see, but surely it was a nice gesture by Sullivan.

Hat tip to Sorry Bro: Sports through Houser.

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As we sit one year from the opening of the 2012 London Olympics, the preparations are well in hand. Facilities are said to be far ahead of schedule and the International Olympic Committee has been impressed by virtually everything surrounding London's readiness for the games.

But after last Friday’s attacks in Norway, thoughts immediately turned to security preparations at what is sure to be the biggest global event of next year. To that end, IOC president Jacques Rogge recently said London will be ready with a security force that is “very well trained and well prepared.”

The sports festival will reportedly have one of the largest security operations ever mounted. The British government plans to move the national terror threat level to "severe" during the two weeks of the games, which classifies a possible attack as highly likely. Every event will feature tight security, including airport-like screening at most venues. About 12,000 police officers will be on duty during each day of the games, in addition to 10,000 security guards. And organizers are expected to spend close to, or perhaps more than, $1 billion on security.

In addition to that huge budget, Britain also has phenomenal surveillance powers, as there are more than 4.3 million security cameras placed throughout the country. You can bet those cameras will have a heavy presence around Olympic Park.

Londoners still vividly remember July 7, 2005, when the largest terror attack in British history rocked the nation, killing 52 people just one day after the city was awarded the 2012 games.

A major part of the security effort next year will be based on intelligence, and British Olympics Minister Hugh Robertson has said the country is prepared for both coordinated and "lone wolf" attacks. A British security official also claims they've already seen chatter from terrorist groups regarding the 2012 games, but there has been nothing specific so far.

While organizers do not want security to become suffocating, they do want those attending the games to feel safe, thus allowing them to enjoy their surroundings. They say security will be tight but will not spoil the party atmosphere in town.

"We are very good at policing in a friendly and discrete way," organizing committee leader Sebastian Coe told the Associated Press.

RELATED: Is London ready for the Olympics?

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I don't know about you, but whenever I think of supreme athletic competition I think about fast food joints. Who doesn't love watching finely-tuned athletes compete at the highest level of their given sport while ingesting thousands of calories?

Apparently, McDonald's agrees with me.

The Golden Arches have been an Olympic sponsor since 1976, and the 2012 London games will be no different. McDonald's is building what will be its biggest restaurant inside London's Olympic Park. The giant fast food haven will be a two-story, 32,000 square foot monument to the glory of greasy food. It will have a seating capacity of 1,500 and open just before the Olympics begin.

The structure will surpass the company's current largest restaurant in Orlando, Florida, and is one of four temporary McDonald's being built on the site. There will also be locations inside the athletes' village and at the Main Press Center.

McDonald's hopes to serve more than 1.75 million people during the 29 days of the Olympics and Paralympics.

Frankly, I think that estimate is a little low. If you've ever had British food, you know that at the first site of a McDonald's you'll be drawn to it like a moth to a flame. Seriously, how many times can you have fish and chips in a two week span?

There's a reason the English have created so many great beers, and it's because if you drink enough, their food might actually become tolerable.

H/T For The Record Sports

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Remember Oscar Pistorius? He's the South African double amputee who has been trying to prove he can compete with able-bodied athletes for years now. Well, consider me convinced.

The 24-year-old, who runs on carbon-fiber legs known as blades, blazed to a time of 45.07 seconds in a 400 meter race in Italy on Tuesday. That puts him inside the "A" standard time set forth by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). As it stands now, Pistorius will most likely be selected by South Africa's team for the 2012 Olympics.

His previous best time was 45.61 seconds, which put him inside the "B" standard, but meant he was unlikely to be picked, because that time only made him the fourth-fastest South African. He now stands as the second-fastest.

How good was Pistorius' time on Tuesday? Consider that the current world record in the 400 is Michael Johnson's mark of 43.18. Additionally, Pistorius' time from Tuesday would would have placed him fifth at the Beijing Olympics. He referred to his performance as "a dream race."

Know as Blade Runner, Pistorius has won four gold medals at the Paralympics, and currently holds world records in the 100, 200 and 400 meters for disabled athletes.

Pistorius won a legal battle in 2008 that allowed him to compete at the highest levels of track and field. The Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned a previous ruling by the IAAF that said Pistorius' prosthetic blades gave him an advantage. The CAS decided that the evidence was inconclusive, and that he actually might be at a disadvantage because he has less blood in his body and no calf muscles.

Born without fibulae, a decision was made to amputate both of Pistorius' legs below the knee when he was just 11 months old.

I don't really understand why anyone would complain about Pistorius possibly competing at the Olympics. It would be a great story and, frankly, I think the guy deserves a shot.

H/T to Sports Girl

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As the host country of the 2012 Olympics, Great Britain is expected to set a standard both on and off the athletic field. They take their responsibility so seriously that director of sports Sir Clive Woodward (by the way, you know you've made it when you have a "Sir" preceding your name), compiled a list of 15 "bare minimum standards" he hopes will generate a feeling of team spirit among the athletes.

So what's on this list, you ask? Let's just say it's much more Marry Poppins than it is Wayne Rooney.

The five ideals they're trying to promote are performance, responsibility, unity, pride, and respect. Here are some of the specific items:

Under the heading of performance, they want athletes to practice good hygiene.

As part of responsibility, athletes are expected to keep their "accommodation" clean and tidy.

And as part of respect, athletes are expected to avoid using foul language and making excessive noise in the Village.

In other words, be the perfect roommate!

Hey, these are great ideals and it would be nice if all athletes followed the rules, but let's be real: we're talking about professional athletes here. You really think someone's going to tell them to stop tweeting past midnight from their messy living quarters? Don't plan on it.

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Great Britain finished fourth in the 2008 Olympic Games at Beijing, but they're not confident they can replicate the performance. Can you imagine what Vince Lombardi would have to say about the comments made by British Olympic Association chief executive Andy Hunt? Hunt told the London Evening Standard they're only anticipating a top-six finish at the upcoming games.

"I acknowledge that I haven't spoken out before about this top six finish. But we need to hold ourselves back from banging the table about a top four position until we can be sure it can be delivered. I'm not saying we won't achieve fourth but my aspiration today, two years out, is top six."

I'm sure that's the exact sort of attitude the British athletes want to hear. Hey, we're standing behind you, but we're not too confident in you even though we're investing all our resources into these games.

The reality is Hunt is worried about other countries surpassing Great Britain. Germany, South Korea, and Australia are all on his list of rising countries. The U.S. and China are expected to finish in the top two. And Great Britain? Well we'll just keep our heads high and hope for a top-six finish. That's the spirit!

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Some people would do anything for a buck. When you’re an Olympic hopeful who spends most of the time practicing and trying to fulfill a lifelong dream, the bucks can be tough to come by. Luckily there are people like Australian volleyball player Claire Kelly who know how to think outside the box.

According to MyFoxDC via Fanattic Network, Kelly has petitioned companies to place permanent tattoos on her body to be seen during competition. Packages are being offered directly to companies and sold on eBayfor around $10,000 for a 0.8 inch x 0.8 inch on the left limb and roughly $50,000 for a 1.9 inch x 1.9 inch tat on the right arm or shoulder. She said she hopes the money will help give her and her partner, Carla Kleverlaan, the financial backing they need for the 2012 Summer Games in London.

“It’s taken me months to get the courage to do this and now I’m going through with it,” Kelly explained. “I was thinking, ‘Tattoo my body with a business logo just so I can have a chance to play for my country at the Olympics? I’m crazy’!

“This is my dream and it seems crazy not to try to do something to realize the dream. We need to head off on the world tour before the end of July, we need financial backing, so I can’t let fear stop me.”

Would you get a tattoo if someone paid you $10,000? That’s what we call commitment. It’s tough to say without actually being given the opportunity, but I think I would do it for that amount of money if the ink was on a place that wasn’t always showing on my body — like the shoulder or upper arm. In any event, Kelly’s money-making scheme gives new meaning to the phrase “taking one for the team.”

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