BY JOHN BOOTHE, CORRESPONDENT

After leaving London with five medals last summer, Ryan Lochte felt he was due for an extended hiatus from the pool.

While in years past Lochte's customary post-Olympic break lasted weeks, the former Florida swimmer found reason this time to nearly stay away from his sport for good.

Even before he premiered an eight-part reality TV series in April on E!, Lochte soaked in his celebrity status with red carpet events and talk show guest spots following his third tri...