Prince Harry's the 'Coolest Thing,' Says Ryan Lochte
Olympic gold medalist Ryan Lochte has commented on his encounter with Prince Harry during the infamous trip to Las Vegas over the weekend.
Both in their late twenties, the men had reportedly been introduced at a pool party, and later raced one another during a 3 a.m. swim, Lochte confirmed.
"We were at the same pool party and his people came over to my table and said, 'Prince Harry wants to meet you,'" the Olympic swimmer told "Today Show" host Matt Lauer on Wednesday.
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Upon meeting Lochte, who was in Vegas celebrating his 28th birthday, the prince suggested racing.
"He was like, 'Do you want to do something,'" recounted Lochte of the royal family member. "He said, 'Do you want to race me in the pool?' And I just took off my shirt and jumped in and we just started racing.'"
The race took place despite the Wynn Hotel pool being full of other swimmers, and ended with Lochte as the winner.
"He's a really nice guy, really talkative," added the swimmer while on "Today."
Lochte described meeting the British royal as being the "coolest thing," but unfortunately the trip was not as successful for Prince Harry.
Nude photos of the 27-year-old prince during what is believed to have been a strip billiards party at his Vegas hotel were leaked to the internet earlier this week, creating a scandal.
Also commenting on the Prince's now-notorious party, Lochte admitted he was "kinda happy" not to have been invited.
"I don't need that," noted Lochte of the bad publicity involved with the controversial photos.
Meanwhile, Prince Harry has returned to his native England following the Vegas vacation.
While many are criticizing Harry for his behavior, one source close to the royal family defended the prince.
"He's a lad," an insider told Us Weekly. "This is just him messing about on holiday. No one was hurt, he's on proper vacation from his work, so he's not breaking any rules. He's using his own money."
British broadcasters have banned the scandalous images of Prince Harry, while many American networks have displayed them.
Prince Harry is third-in-line to the British throne following his father, Charles, and Prince William.
