Ryan Lochte brushes past Michael Phelps in swimming showdown

Ryan Lochte has something to smile about after winning the 400m individual swimming medley (GETTY IMAGES)

Ryan Lochte deposed Michael Phelps as the Olympic 400 metres individual medley champion as he secured a dominant victory at the Aquatics Centre.

The race was meant to be the first instalment of a showdown between him and Phelps but ultimately Lochte was never threatened and touched in four minutes 05.18 seconds.

Brazil's Thiago Pereira was second with Japanese 17-year-old Kosuke Hagino third, just a year after taking bronze at the World Junior Championships.

Phelps, though, was third at the halfway stage before dropping out of the medals on the breaststroke leg, the Baltimore swimmer unable to claw back the deficit.

PA