Who needs Michael Phelps? Prince Harry is all the swimming competition Ryan Lochte needs.  

On TODAY Thursday, Lochte told Matt Lauer that Harry challenged him to a race in a nightclub pool last Friday, and the Olympian accepted. 

Lochte had never met the prince until the royal's entourage approached him that night.

"His people came over to my table and said, 'Prince Harry wants to meet you,'" he said. "I was like, 'Lets meet him.' I went over there. I was fully clothed, and he says, 'You want to race me in the pool?' I took off my shirt, jumped in and we started racing."

Lochte enjoyed his brush with royalty, which began and ended with their impromptu race.  

“He’s part of the royal family and everything, but he’s really a nice guy,’’ Lochte said. “He’s really talkative. He just wanted to meet me and honestly wanted to race me. I thought that was the coolest thing.’’

Only hours later, all of the prince’s clothes came off in a now-infamous strip-billiards incident that took place in a hotel suite. Lochte did not get the invite to play strip billiards with the prince and his friends.

“He never said anything like that,’’ Lochte said. “After our race and everything, we went our separate ways. I’m kind of happy. I don’t need that.’’  

Nightclub swims notwithstanding, Lochte, 28, said that these three weeks out of the water have been his longest break from the pool since he was 10 years old.

“After racing Prince Harry, I got that competitive edge back in me and I want to get back in the water,’’ Lochte cracked.

After celebrating his birthday and dabbling in acting on '90210,' Lochte is ready to start gearing up for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. He said he will get back to training on Monday.

“Once I landed back in the States after London, I already had my goals in mind for Rio,’’ he said. “They’re a little different now. I can’t spill everything.’’

Lochte did let it slip that he will not be swimming the same events as he did in London, where he won two golds, two silvers and a bronze to bring his career total to 11 medals.

“Whenever I go up on the blocks, I don’t want to go for second or third, I want to win,’’ he said. “So I was definitely pleased and unpleased with some of my races, so hopefully I can change that in the next four years. I’m going to be swimming different events, that’s for sure. I’m getting older, my body’s getting older, so I can’t do those long events.’’

His outside interests in fashion, acting and other pursuits will not distract him from his training, Lochte said.

“Because of the training that I’ve been doing these past eight years, I have a good background, so I know that I’m able to do other things that I wasn’t able to do before so that leads to acting, doing who knows what,’’ he said. “The whole acting thing is definitely nerve-wracking. I can swim in front of 10,000 people, no problem, but acting, that’s a little hard.’’

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Swimmer Ryan Lochte is going home with five Olympic medals, but it's what he left behind in the pool in London that has made some joking headlines as the Olympics wind down.

Lochte was in the spotlight a week ago when he admitted to TODAY special correspondent Ryan Seacrest that he occasionally pees in the pool. Then came a "Funny or Die" parody video where he took the peeing theme to hilarious heights.

Lochte jokingly reiterated his stance in an interview with Matt Lauer on TODAY Friday. 

“I mean, sometimes you just gotta go,” he said.

British prime minister David Cameron was not amused once he heard how Lochte was using London’s Olympic pool. “I was surprised to hear that,” he told Britain's Metro newspaper. “It’s not OK to pee in the pool.”
 
 Lochte has certainly stood by his right to relieve himself in the water. When comedian Will Ferrell called and asked him to make a “Funny or Die” video on the subject, he jumped at the opportunity. In the video Lochte says, “The way I see it, the pool is the biggest, most expensive toilet and it’s all mine. That’s the only time I allow myself to pee. Animals, they mark their territory. I pee in the pool. That’s my territory.”
 
Luckily for the pools of the world, Lochte isn’t going anywhere near one for at least a little while after a whirlwind Olympic experience.
 
“I’m definitely going to take some time off," he told Lauer. "It's been four years of every day in the pool. I think it’s time for me to take at least a couple weeks.”

Lochte isn’t worried that the come-down after the Olympics will lead to a crash. He has already said that he plans on making a run at a spot in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro when he will be 32 years old.
 
“The Olympics is great," he said. "But for me, I treat every meet, every swim meet that I go to, the exact same. It just has a different name to it. And you know what? I love racing. And I want to keep doing it for another four years.”
 

While the world waits to see him in Rio in 2016, he'll be keeping busy on dry land. He already is entertaining multiple reality TV offers, and he has plans to move to Los Angeles, which he said has been a big goal of his for a long time. He told Lauer he hopes it will help him get into fashion.

“That is my passion,” he said. “When swimming is all said and done I definitely want to get into fashion and design my own clothing line.”

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Ryan Lochte: 'I'm going another four years to Rio"

Phelps rival writes his own London headline: 'Ryan Lochte takes over'

As he gets set to finish his Olympic diary, Michael Phelps continues to insist that this will be the final chapter. 

The legendary swimmer has been keeping a journal in London in order to preserve his memories. There has been plenty to write about: Phelps set Olympic records last week with 18 career gold medals and 22 medals overall. Tuesday on TODAY, Phelps said that these games were his last.

“I’m done,’’ he told Matt Lauer. “I’m finished. I’m retired. I’m done. No more. The biggest thing is I can look back at my career and say I’ve done everything exactly the way I wanted to, and if you can say that, I’m happy.’’

Since his final London race Saturday, Phelps, 27, has put down his pen down to enjoy some free time. The trip back to the United States will give him time to record his thoughts.

“I kind of enjoy writing whenever I’m on the plane, so whenever I’m on the plane I’m sure I’ll go through a couple of pages and write down all the moments and experiences that I’ve had here in London,’’ Phelps said. “It’s just been incredible.’’

Phelps shared headlines with rival Ryan Lochte, who gave his own dream headline to Lauer before the Olympics began: “Ryan Lochte takes over.’’ The comment put another log in Phelps' fireplace.

“Everything fueled my fire,’’ he said. “Sort of just hearing, seeing what people were doing and saying, that really helped over the last few years. I wasn’t going to comment (on Lochte’s comment) back then, and I won’t comment now.’’

Phelps felt less pressure this time around than he did in 2008. 

“It was a lot more relaxed than the other Olympics,’’ he said. “(Coach) Bob (Bowman) and I were very laid back, and we were ready to just have some fun, and that’s what we did. It was a cool week.’’

Bowman has coached Phelps throughout his three Olympics, and the two have developed a tight bond.

“When I was walking around the pool the last time, (Bowman) was on the deck, and that’s pretty much what he said,’’ Phelps said. “He said, ‘I’m very proud of you and I love you.’ My whole career wouldn’t be anywhere close to where it is without him. We worked great together, and we’ve been able to do everything we’ve ever wanted.’’

Phelps was 15 years old when he qualified for the 2000 Olympics in Sydney but did not medal in any races. He watched in awe as 15-year-old Katie Ledecky got the gold on Friday in the 800-meter freestyle.

“It did (remind me of Sydney), but she won a medal out of it,’’ Phelps said. “That was one of the coolest races that I was able to watch this whole Olympics. I was like, ‘Oh my God, she’s really going to do it.’’’  

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Al, Natalie, Matt and Savannah proved they were pros when wild weather disrupted the TODAY broadcast from the London Olympics this morning.

First, Natalie bravely delivered her newscast despite torrential rain flying sideways and hitting her face. Watch it here.

Later, strong winds ruffled the anchors' hair and blew into their mics. Thinking quickly, Savannah figured out a solution to keep the broadcast going:

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The diamond grill and Speedo aren't being retired just yet. Get ready, Rio de Janeiro, because Ryan Lochte plans to be coming your way in four years.

After winning two gold medals, two silvers and a bronze in London, the U.S. swimming star told Matt Lauer on TODAY Friday that he has his sights set on a berth in the 2016 Olympics in Brazil. Lochte also celebrated his 28th birthday on the set of TODAY with a pool-shaped cake and his signature sunglasses.   

“By all means, I’m going another four years,’’ Lochte said about his future Olympic plans. “There’s no question about it, I’m going another four.’’

TODAY

Star swimmer Ryan Lochte celebrates his 28th birthday in style on TODAY with Savannah Guthrie, Matt Lauer, and a pool-shaped cake.

Lochte will turn 32 during the 2016 Olympics, so he will be a grizzled veteran competing mostly against swimmers in their early 20s. His main rival, Olympic legend Michael Phelps, is a year younger than him at 27. Phelps has already announced that London will be the final Olympics in his brilliant career, but Lochte wants to keep competing.

“It has been a long four years, but I’m having a blast swimming,’’ Lochte said. “I love just getting up on the blocks and racing the top people in the world. I get excited for that.’’

Lochte came in second behind Phelps in the 200-meter individual medley on Thursday, his final duel in the pool with his rival. The pair split in two head-to-head races in London, with Lochte blasting to a three-second victory in the 400-meter individual medley before Phelps beat him on Thursday to bring his Olympic record to 16 gold medals and 20 overall.

“I think me and Michael is going to go down as one of the greatest rivalries in the history of swimming,’’ he said. “I’m just happy that I was a part of that.’’

Only 31 minutes after he won a bronze medal in the 200-meter backstroke on Thursday, Lochte had to regroup for his showdown in the 200 individual medley with Phelps. Phelps got out ahead of him early with a dominant butterfly leg and did not relinquish the lead.

“I knew that’s what he was going to do,’’ Lochte said. “His butterfly is so strong. That’s one of his strongest strokes, so I knew if I had any kind of a fighting chance I would have to go with him. It kind of hurt me towards the end.’’

Slideshow: Happy birthday, Ryan Lochte! Here's 12 pictures of him

Fabrice Coffrini / AFP - Getty Images

The gold medal-winning swimmer turned 28 on Friday.

Launch slideshow

The Lochte-Phelps rivalry was one of the main storylines heading into London, with many swimming experts predicting this would be Lochte’s time to shine after being in the shadow of Phelps during the 2008 Olympics. Lochte won five medals to bring his career total to 11 medals.

“I’m always going there to win,’’ Lochte said. “I’m not going there for second. I’m going there for the gold, and sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn’t, but overall I’m pretty happy.’’

Lochte also dismissed the notion that his bulked-up physique had anything to do with his inability to dominate the way many had predicted he would. Leading up to London, he had been doing strongman workouts like flipping giant tires.

“I don’t think I bulked up too much,’’ he said. “I think it was perfect just because I’ve gotten a lot faster since I’ve gotten a lot bigger, and it’s just all the extra training that I’ve been doing. I know it helped me out a lot, so I’m just going to stay hopefully the same.’’

Leading up to London, Lochte was asked by Lauer what headline he would write about the Olympics and he replied, “Lochte takes over.’’ Now that the competition is over, he isn't sure how he would sum up his performance.

“That’s hard to say, just because I had some up-and-down swims at this Olympics,’’ Lochte said. “I’m just going to have to wait and see what the actual media says.’’

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If Ryan Lochte could have his way, Thursday’s swimming showdown with Michael Phelps would start with Lil’ Wayne blaring out of the loudspeakers, move to a stare down with Phelps and end with Lochte winning in world-record time.

Lochte will gladly settle for at least the last part becoming reality.

Before gearing up to go head-to-head with Phelps for the final time in the Olympics during the 200-meter individual medley, Lochte was asked by Matt Lauer on TODAY Thursday to describe his perfect race.

“In the middle lanes it’s me and Michael,’’ Lochte said about his dream scenario. “I look over at Phelps, and we have like a little stare-off. We’re just staring at each other like, ‘Who wants it more?’’’

Phelps is trying to add to his Olympic-record haul of 19 career medals, while Lochte is trying to take home his third gold medal in one of the most-anticipated events in London. In Lochte’s mind, he would be off the blocks quickly and neck-and-neck with Phelps before a big finish.

“I’m hitting the water like a rocket, and I’m not looking back,’’ Lochte said. “Going into the last turn, we both go underwater, and we both look at each other because we’re dead even. It’s a close race, and I just destroy everyone off the last wall. I take off and going into the home stretch, I touch that wall and I shattered the world record. Just killed it by a second or two.’’

Lochte’s imagined finish would then include muscle flexing and bellowing in triumph. He made no mention of a diamond grill in his mouth on the podium, but that's almost a sure bet as well.

“To me, that’s the best way I can put a race,’’ he said.

Slideshow: Olympic hotties: World’s most alluring athletes

A collection of the winning smiles and champion physiques of Olympic hopefuls from America and other nations.

Launch slideshow

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NBC

From left, Natalie Morales, Savannah Guthrie, Matt Lauer and Al Roker, on TODAY in London.

Sure, Ryan Lochte has abs as incredible as his lap times. But Matt Lauer is also doing his part to represent America in style...and now he's got the seal of approval from Esquire to prove it.

Kathie Lee and Hoda were already a-swoon over his Olympic anchor-chic last week, and now the magazine has joined in the love-fest. On Twitter,  they gushed that Matt's London looks "make America proud." On their style blog, they went a step further, calling him "better dressed than any Olympian," praising his choice of snazzy Ermenegildo Zegna suits — "nice, cotton ones that make him look tan" — and bold decision to rock a saucy, Euro, tie-less look.

Although, to be fair, it would be pretty hard to do the 100-meter butterfly in a beautifully tailored blazer.

Julieanne Smolinski is a TODAY.com contributor who is hard at work on a tweet about how Matt gets a gold in being bronze. Or something.

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Team TODAY donned neon jogging suits to demonstrate a deceptively tricky Olympic event: racewalking.

John Nunn and Maria Michta, members of the Team USA racewalking team, coached Savannah, Matt, Al, Natalie, Meredith and Ryan on the quirky sport, where one foot must always be in contact with the ground. 

Cue the starting gun: The anchors were ready to race(walk). 

TODAY

And... things got awkward quickly.

TODAY

We're no experts, but attacking a competitor seems like it would be against the rules.

TODAY

TODAY

TODAY

And when Savannah, Meredith and Natalie paused to pose for a photo, Al breezed by to win the gilded sneaker.  

TODAY

TODAY

Good thing Al's crown matches his outfit! 

TODAY

Julieanne Smolinski is a TODAY.com contributor who always bets on the weatherman.

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Natalie Coughlin may not be done making history just yet.

Heading into the Olympics, sports media had reported that the 4x100-meter freestyle relay would be Coughlin’s only London race. After tying the record for the most medals of any female Olympian in U.S. history with a bronze on Saturday, Coughlin told Matt Lauer on TODAY Monday that there is a chance she could swim another race. With a 13th medal, she'd set a new record. 

Coughlin, 29, said that there is a chance she could be part of another relay team before the conclusion of the Games, as she did not qualify for any of the individual events. The 4x100-meter medley relay is on Friday. In 12 races over the course of her Olympic career, Coughlin has medaled in all 12.  

“There’s a lot of factors that play into that,’’ Coughlin said about a potential race. “One of the great things about Team USA in swimming is we have so much depth and so much talent so we have options for the medley relays. That being said, I’m not trying to force myself on a relay. I’m there, and it’s 100 percent the coach’s decision.’’

The U.S. swim team coach, Teri McKeever, also is Coughlin’s personal coach. It was McKeever’s decision that resulted in an unorthodox medal for Coughlin on Saturday. Though Coughlin did not swim in the 4x100 relay final, she swam in the preliminary round, which by rule still earned her a medal. McKeever decided to leave her out of the final in favor of Missy Franklin, Jessica Hardy, Lia Neal and Allison Schmitt, who swam an American-record time of 3:34.24 to finish third.

“I had a very, very fast relay takeoff (in the preliminary round), so I think that made them a little nervous, I don’t really know,’’ Coughlin said. “I was very supportive of the four that were up there and they did a fantastic job. I think a lot of it is (McKeever) wants to err on the side of being conservative being that she is my personal coach as well as the head coach.

“She told me and I was fine with it. A lot of the coaches were really supportive of me. It’s a hard thing, but I’m glad for the four girls.’’

Because she wasn’t part of the team that swam in the final, Saturday also marked the first time that Coughlin did not stand on the podium.

“I still haven’t had time to really process it, and I earned this medal in kind of a strange way,’’ she said. “This is the first time that I haven’t been on the medal podium myself, so very unceremoniously Teri gives it to me in a meeting, of course, but it’s a little strange.’’

While the assumption coming into London was that this would be the conclusion of Coughlin’s brilliant Olympic career, she did not completely rule out a potential run at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro.

“My thoughts change on a daily basis,’’ she said. “I absolutely love swimming. I’m going to continue to train and be fit, so my thing is, if I’m healthy enough to compete, why not, because I love it. But I go back and forth, and right now I’m just trying to focus on this week.’’

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Olympic swimmer Missy Franklin: I'll win to 'shine some light' on Colo.

Olympic swimmer Missy "The Missile" Franklin was training in France on July 20 when she spent several tense hours waiting to hear from everyone back home after news broke of the deadly shooting at a movie theater in Aurora, Colo.

Franklin's hometown is Centennial, Colo., but the 17-year-old goes to school and trains in nearby Aurora. With the biggest competition of her life looming, she has much of her mind on her local community.

“My thoughts and prayers are constantly with the victims of Aurora, and anyone else affected,” Franklin told TODAY’s Matt Lauer in London on Wednesday. "Hearing that news was so hard because even a lot of people at home hadn’t heard it yet. Because we were in France, the time zone was so far ahead, and waiting to hear from all my friends and family to make sure they were OK was just miserable.”

Franklin is hoping that swimming well in London can be a bright spot for a devastated community.

"(I'm going to put) my focus here and hopefully do the best that I can to shine some light on Colorado and make them proud,'' she said.   

During an emotional week, Franklin will get a boost on Thursday when her parents arrive in London.

“I think they’re going to be so excited,” she said. “I’ve been Skyping with them every day. They miss me so much and I miss them so much, and it’s terrible being apart from them.”

On the lighter side, Franklin also is making some comical adjustments to living in the Olympic Village. On Wednesday morning, just before her appearance on TODAY, she blew a fuse in her apartment.

“We were straightening our hair to come on the TODAY Show, and I just plugged my converter in and I heard a little pop,'' Franklin said. "Then our fans started turning off, and everyone was like, ‘Why is nothing working?’”

When the Olympic Village is dark and has no functioning air conditioning, look to Franklin for an explanation.

Expectations are high for Franklin, who swimming experts believe will be a breakout star in London. Before hitting the water she has already made history, becoming the first American woman to qualify for seven events at the Olympics.

While the pressure can be overwhelming, she is grateful for the support.

"The only expectations I think about are my own and the people that I really care about - my coach, my family,'' Franklin said. "Those expectations are just to have fun, and I know that’s what you guys want me to do, too.” 

As one of the youngest members of the team, Franklin has been seeking advice from Olympic veterans.

"The best piece of advice I’ve gotten is to take in every moment that we have here and enjoy every second,'' she said.

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