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Los Angeles - Six-time Olympic gold medalist Ryan Lochte said on Friday he's not quite ready to plunge back into competition in the wake of his 10-month ban after family duties disrupted his recent training, website Floswimming.com reported.
Lochte, who was banned by USA Swimming over his bogus gunpoint robbery story that embarrassed Rio Olympics organisers last year, welcomed the birth of son Caiden with fiancee Kayla Rae Reid last month.
Although he was entered in three individual events at this week's Los Angeles Invitational, Lochte said he had decided not to compete in the meet on the campus of the University of Southern California, where he is now training with the Trojan Swim Club.
"I'm scratching from the meet this weekend because I have not been able to train the way I feel I need to train because of Caiden being born," Lochte told the website.
"My family, Kayla, and Caiden is my first priority and my goal is to be at an elite level by Pan Pacs next year."
The 32-year-old has said he plans to try to make the US team for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics so next year's Pan Pacific Championships in Tokyo would be an ideal tuneup for a 2020 campaign.
Lochte's suspension, which ended on June 30, meant he couldn't compete in the US championships that were the selection meet for the upcoming World Championships in Budapest.
He did get some racing at the US Masters Swimming National Championships, which is not a USA Swimming event.
