One of the CBC’s Olympic announcers must have had his water swapped for a cup of whatever’s in the green diving pool for him to mistake Michael Phelps for Ryan Lochte.
Announcer Elliotte Friedman was calling the highly anticipated race between Phelps and Lochte on Thursday when Canadian viewers noticed something amiss: Friedman mixed up the identities of the two champion U.S. swimmers.
As Phelps broke away and roared through the last 50 metres, viewers around the world listened to commentary calling the race for the Baltimore Bullet—except in Canada.
But if you were a Canadian watching the event, Friedman’s commentary offered a different outcome.
“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!” he said, calling the race for Lochte —before realizing his error.
Yes, Friedman was wrong. It was Phelps who clinched that 200-metre individual medley race in perhaps his last one against teammate Lochte, securing Olympic gold — his 22nd.
Lochte finished fifth and told reporters after the race he was “kind of bummed” about the results.
Friedman, a consummate professional, owned up to his slip on Twitter.
And he received a fittingly Canadian response in return.
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