(CNN) -- Ryan Lochte won the United States' first gold medal at the London Olympics with an outstanding performance in Saturday's 400m individual medley.
Swimming superstar Michael Phelps, who has 14 Olympic gold medals from his three previous Olympics, could only manage fourth place in a disappointing performance.
"I think I am in shock right now. Going into these Games I knew I was capable of getting the win. I'm happy that I was able to do that," said Lochte.
The rivalry between Lochte and Phelps has dominated the build up to this year's swimming competition, but Phelps couldn't live up to the hype as he struggled to find the form that helped him win eight golds in eight days at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
A first for USA Olympic swim team
Phelps leads US quest for swimming glory
U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps competes in the men's 400-meter individual medley final swimming event during the first day of Olympics competition in London on Saturday, July 28. Phelps failed to medal in the event, finishing fourth. Photos: The opening ceremony
Day 1: The best photos of the Olympics
With First Lady Michelle Obama in attendance, Lochte, the current Fina male swimmer of the year, dominated the race from the start.
The six-time Olympic medal winner, including three golds, opened up an early lead and never looked liked being caught in the race that combines four different strokes.
Phelps hasn't missed out on a medal since finishing fifth in the 200m butterfly at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, but he ends day one empty handed after finishing behind surprise medal winners Thiago Pereira and Kosuke Hagino.
"It was just a crappy race. They swam a better race than me, they swam a smarter race than me and that is why they are on the podium," said Phelps, who is scheduled to compete in seven events at the Games.
"It's just really frustrating to start off on a bad note like this, it's pretty upsetting."
"The biggest thing now is to try and get past this and move forward. I have a bunch of races and hopefully we can finish this a lot better than we started.
Brazilian Pereira won his first Olympic medal, having previously competed at the 2004 Athens and 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Japanese Kosuke Hagino, a 17 year old, won the 200m individual medley at last year's Fina junior World Championships and wasn't expected to even reach the final in London.
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Ryan Lochte of the United States cuts through the water in the freestyle portion of the men's 400-meter individual medley finals on Saturday. Lochte won the gold medal.
Freedom Chiya of South Africa dives for the ball against the United States during the men's beach volleyball preliminary round.
Arianna Errigo, left, of Italy celebrates winning her semifinal fencing match against Valentina Vezzali of Italy in women's individual foil.
Australia's Samantha Richards, center, shoots a layup against Great Britain during women's basketball play.
Gaetane Thiney of France is checked by Choe Mi Gyong, left, and O Hui Sun, right, of North Korea during a women's soccer first-round match.
Sania Mirza of India serves during her women's doubles tennis match with Rushmion Chakarvarthi against Chia-Jung Chuang and Su-Wei Hsieh of Taiwan.
The fist of Turkey's Adem Kilicci lands against Nursahat Pazziyev of Turkmenistan during their first-round middleweight (75kg) bout.
Poland's Natalia Partyka serves during a preliminary-round singles match against Denmark's Mie Skov in women's table tennis.
U.S. volleyball player Destinee Hooker, left, spikes as South Korea's Kim Yeon-Koung attempts to block in the women's volleyball match.
U.S. swimmer Ryan Lochte flashes his U.S. flag grill and the gold medal he won in the men's 400-meter individual medley.
Heather Watson of Great Britain plays against Sabine Lisicki and Angelique Kerber of Germany during a women's doubles tennis match.
Nadine Zumkehr of Switzerland dives for the ball against Greece during the women's beach volleyball preliminaries.
Russian gymnast Emin Garibov competes on the floor during the men's qualification of the artistic gymnastics event.
Russian gymnast Emin Garibov in the air during the men's artistic gymnastics qualification.
French leftback Mariama Signate. left, vies with Norway's Amanda Kurtovic during a women's preliminary handball match.
Brazil's Karla Costa, No. 5, looks to pass against France's Endene Miyem, No. 5, and Isabelle Yacoubou, No. 5, of France in the first half of the women's basketball competition.
Michael Phelps of the United States dives in the water at the start of the the men's 400-meter individual medley final. He came in fourth.
Australia's Alicia Coutts competes in the women's 4x100-meter freestyle relay final swimming event.
U.S. swimmer Ryan Lochte smiles after winning gold in the men's 400-meter individual medley final. Teammate and rival Michael Phelps finished fourth.
Jacob Wukie of the United States shoots an arrow during the men's team archery final match against Italy. Italy defeated the United States to win gold as South Korea got bronze.
U.S. swimmer Ryan Lochte competes in the men's 400-meter individual medley final. "I know it's my time and I'm ready," said Lochte.
Britain's leftback Ewa Palies, center, vies with Montenegro's Maja Savic, left, and Katarina Bulatovic during a women's preliminary handball match.
Montenegro's pivot Ana Dokic vies with her competitors from Great Britain during a women's handball preliminary match.
China's Sun Yang won gold in the men's 400-meter freestyle final.
U.S soccer player Carli Lloyd, No.10, and teammate Alex Morgan, No.13, celebrate after scoring their third goal during a first-round game against Colombia.
U.S. women's soccer team members Carli Lloyd, right; Megan Rapinoe, center; and Alex Morgan celebrate after scoring a third goal against Colombia during a first-round game.
Brazil's Larissa Franca, left, and Juliana Silva both go for the ball during the women's beach volleyball preliminary game against Natacha Rigobert and Elodie Li Yuk Lo of Mauritus.
A fencing helmet lies on the field during an interruption of the women's foil fencing semifinal bout between Italy's Arianna Errigo and Italy's Valentina Vezzali.
Women's judo competition medalists, from left to right: Eva Csernoviczki of Hungary (tied for bronze); Charline Van Snick of Belgium (tied for bronze); Sarah Menezes of Brazil (gold); and Alina Dumitru of Romania (silver).
A British fan shows his support during a women's handball preliminary match between Montenegro and Great Britain.
Turkey's Nurdan Karagoz is competing in women's weightlifting.
Japanese gymnast Kohei Uchimura competes during the men's artistic gymnastics qualification event on the first day of the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Italy's Valentina Vezzali celebrates her victory over Tunisia's Ines Boubakri after their women's foil fencing quarterfinal bout.
Sofiane Milous of France, in white, competes with Hovhannes Davtyan of Armenia during the men's judo event.
U.S. player Christie Rampone, right, vies with Colombia's Ingrid Vidal during the women's soccer competition.
Steve Grotowski of Great Britain dives for the ball during the men's beach volleyball preliminary round.
Russia's gold medalist Arsen Galstyan poses on the podium of a men's judo event.
U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps, right, and Hungary's Laszlo Cseh compete in the men's 400 meter individual medley heats.
Jill Scott, left, of Great Britain celebrates scoring with teammates Eniola Aluku and Kelly Smith during a first-round women's soccer game against Camaroon.
Qatari shooter Bahya Mansour al-Hamad competes during the 10 meter air rifle women's qualification.
Switzerland's Roger Federer returns the ball to Colombia's Alejandro Falla during the men's singles tennis match.
American Heather O'Reilly, right, vies with Colombia's Ingrid Vidal, second right, during a women's soccer game.
Sweden's pivot Ulrika Agren, left, shoots under the look of Denmark's leftback Trine Troelsen during a women's preliminary handball match.
Japanese gymnast Kazuhito Tanaka competes on the horizontal bar during the men's artistic gymnastics qualification event.
Tiana Coudray of the United States riding Ringwood Magister competes in the dressage equestrian event.
A picture taken with a robotic camera shows Nigeria's Quadri Aruna returning to Spain's Carlos Machado during their first round men's table tennis match.
Roger Federer of Switzerland serves against Alejandro Falla of Colombia during their men's singles tennis match.
Sue Bird, No. 6, of the United States shoots against Iva Ciglar, No. 10, of Croatia in the first half of their women's basketball game.
Great Britain's Mark Cavendish, third left, and other competitors approach the last bend of the race outside of Buckingham Palace during the men's cycling road race.
Yeji Kim of South Korea competes in a women's single sculls heat at Eton Dorney near Windsor, England.
Maja Zebic of Croatia attacks the goal in women's handball preliminaries between Croatia and Brazil.
Valentina Vezzali of Italy celebrates winning her women's foil individual fencing quaterfinal match against Ines Boubakri of Tunisia.
Svetlana Germanovich of Kazakhstan competes in a women's single sculls heat.
From left, Diguan Pigot of Suriname, Amini Fonua of Tonga and Mubarak Al Besher of United Arab Emirates compete in heat one of the men's 100-meter breaststroke.
Spectators applaud as the peleton rides up Boxhill on the outskirts of London during the men's cycling road race.
Aleksandra Privalova of Belarus serves against Xing Han of Congo during their women's singles table tennis match.
Brazil's Sarah Menezes (top) celebrates after beating Belgium's Charline Van Snick in the semi-final judo match.
Saki Kumagai of Japan waves to the crowd after playing in a first-round women's soccer game between Japan and Sweden.
Desiree Scott of Canada and Andisiwe Mgcoyi of South Africa fight for the ball during a first-round women's soccer game.
Robenilson Vieira de Jesus of Brazil absorbs a punch from Orzubek Shayimov of Uzbekistan during their match, which Vieira de Jesus won.
France's Sofiane Milous, left, competes with Armenia's Hovhannes Davtyan during their men's judo match.
Vietnam's Nguyen Thi Anh Vien competes in the women's 400-meter individual medley heats.
Goalkeeper Andreia Suntaque of Brazil tries to block a cross as Sarah Gregorius of New Zealand attempts a header.
Two athletes compete in the men's judo event.
Italy's Arianna Errigo, left, fences against U.S. fencer Lee Kiefer during their women's foil fencing quarterfinal bout.
Angola's Nadir Manuel, No. 14, center, follows through on her shot against Turkey's Quanitra Hollingsvorth, No. 12, and Turkey's Saziye Ivegin, No. 14.
U.S. tennis player Serena Williams returns a shot against Jelena Jankovic of Serbia during their women's singles tennis match.
Great Britain's Anna Bentley celebrates winning her women's foil match against Monica Peterson of Canada.
Tomoko Fukumi of Japan, in white, and Kelly Edwards of Great Britain compete in the women's judo competition.
British gymnast Daniel Purvis performs on the artistic gymnastics men's parallel bars.
Eun Hee Ryu of South Korea scores from the penalty spot in the women's handball preliminaries against Spain.
British fans enjoy the atmosphere during the men's cycling road race.
Japan's Aya Sameshima and Sofia Jakobsson of Sweden compete for the ball during a women's first-round soccer game.
An athlete performs on the rings before the men's qualification for artistic gymnastics.
Felipe Kitadai of Brazil, in blue, competes with Rishod Sobirov of Uzbekistan in a judo match.
Serbia's Maja Ognjenovic, right, passes the ball during a women's volleyball match between Serbia and China.
China's Nan Chen, No. 15, huddles with teammates.
Sweden's Sara Thunebro is given a yellow card during a women's first-round soccer game.
French gymnast Cyril Tommasone competes on the pommel horse during the men's qualification of the artistic gymnastics event.
Senegal's Malick Fall competes in the men's 100-meter breaststroke heats.
China's Yi Siling celebrates with her gold medal on the podium after winning the 10-meter air rifle women's final.
Kamila Augustyn of Poland looks for a shot against Anastasia Prokopenko of Russia during the women's singles badminton match.
Julius Brink of Germany spikes the ball during the men's beach volleyball match against Russia.
Rowers from Denmark compete in the men's lightweight four heats at Eton Dorney near Windsor, England.
South Korea's gymnast Kim Hee Hoon competes on the rings during the men's qualification of the artistic gymnastics event.
Belgium's Charline Van Snick, right, celebrates after winning against Hungary's Eva Csernoviczki during the women's judo match.
Tunisia's Ines Boubakri celebrates her victory over U.S. fencer Nicole Ross after their women's foil fencing bout.
Serbia's Ana Ivanovic returns the ball to American Christina McHale during their women's singles tennis match.
Stefana Veljkovic, No. 11, and Ivana Djerisilo, No. 3, of Serbia react to a lost point to China during the women's volleyball game.
Michele Mueller of Canada riding Amistad competes in the dressage equestrian event.
U.S. swimmer Ryan Lochte dives off of the starting block at the start of heat five of the men's 400-meter individual medley.
Having won the first gold medal of the Games, Siling Yi of China celebrates her victory during the ceremony for the women's 10-meter air rifle shooting.
Siling Yi of China competes for the gold at the Royal Artillery Barracks.
U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps competes in the men's 400 meter individual medley heats.
Lijie Miao of China, No. 8, battles for the basketball against Petra Kulichova, No. 13, of Czech Republic.
Japan's Nishioka Shiho, left, fences against Hong Kong's Lin Po Heung during their women's foil bout.
U.S. swimmer Ryan Lochte competes in the men's 400-meter individual medley heats.
Algeria's Sehryne Hennaoui spikes the ball as Japan's Yukiko Ebata reaches to block during a women's volleyball match.
Russia's leftback Victoria Zhilinskayte, right, jumps to shoot during a preliminary round handball match against Angola.
Iran's Elaheh Ahmadi, second from right, competes during the women's 10-meter air rifle qualification at the Royal Artillery Barracks.
Mark Cavendish of Britain, right, takes off at the start of men's road race cycle event.
Mongolia's Tumurkhuleg Davaadorj, left, competes with Brazil's Felipe Kitadai during a judo match.
Chen Xue of China dips to return the ball during the women's beach volleyball match between China and Russia. See photos from day two of the games.
U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps competes in his 400-meter individual medley heat.
Mawussi Agbetoglo of Togo serves against Justin Han of Australia during their preliminary round singles match in the table tennis competition.
A rower prepares to compete at Eton Dorney near Windsor, England.
Tobias Englmaier of Germany, in white, and Hovhannes Davtyan of Armenia compete in the men's judo competition. See photos from Day 2 of the competition.
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