LOS ANGELES (AP) — With his camera-ready good looks, quirky catchphrases and funky fashion choices, swimmer Ryan Lochte parlayed the five medals he won at the 2012 Olympic Games into a burgeoning media career.

But the 28-year-old athlete says he's back in the pool training for future competitions and only embraced Hollywood to raise his sport's profile.

"My main goal is to make swimming bigger than what it is, or what it was back in 2008, and the only way I can do that is by going and doing cameos, being on talk shows, doing all those little things to help bring people aware that like, just bring them into swimming more," Lochte told The Associated Press in an interview Wednesday. "Honestly, the only time you ever hear about swimming is during the Olympics. I say to myself and to other people: Why can't swimming be like the NBA or the NFL or something like that, because we do have those big championship meets once a year, so why can't we have that (attention)?"