Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte shared a huge pasta meal before their last Olympic race against each other
On Thursday night, Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte competed against each other in what is almost certainly the last time in the Olympics, with Phelps winning the gold in the 200 individual medley.
While much has been made of the rivalry over the years, it seems that the two elder statesmen of the swimming team - Phelps is 31 and Lochte is 32 - have become friends in the twilight of their careers.
We got a glimpse at that newfound friendship in an Instagram photo taken the night before their big race, after the pair competed in the 200 semifinals. The two swimmers gleefully posed for a photo while lying in ice baths and pounding a huge plate of what appears to be spaghetti. This is the type of photo only friends pose for, and it's great.
Phelps explained his post-race recovery routine earlier in the Olympics.
"I tried to do as much as I could, get my lactate cleared, had a massage, had an ice bath, eat," Phelps said after winning gold in the 4x100 freestyle relay. "I think I had a pound of spaghetti, and I am not a spaghetti fan. I forced myself to eat it."
Well, it seems as if eating the spaghetti is easier with good company.