Ryan Lochte Tries to Explain Mom's "One-Night Stands" Remarks

What should the hunky gold medalist do to celebrate?

Where to start?!

Ryan Lochte has taken London by storm, but today, the American swimmer won't just be celebrating his five medals, two of them gold —he'll be partying, Team USA-style, in celebration of his 28th birthday.

But first, he exclusively sat down with E! News' Giuliana Rancic in London this morning to reveal his birthday plans...and, more importantly, to try to spin his mom Ike's comments this week about her son's predilection for "one-night stands."

"It feels amazing," he says of his Olympics performance. "I'm happy that it's over.

"Today is my birthday, and I'm relaxing...This is the first time in 12 years that I can celebrate my birthday and not swim."

His birthday wish?

"That I can actually spend some time with my family," he says. "I've been waiting to hang out with them."

Meanwhile, Ryan took time to play down the amped-up, made-for-TV rivalry with teammate Michael Phelps.

"We're friends. He's still my partner when we play cards. I love racing against him. I'm going to miss him [since he's retiring]," says Ryan. " He's the toughest competitor I've had to go up against."

As for that his Twitter BFF and partner in grilldom, Lil Wayne?

"That was by all means awesome," Ryan says of the tweet shout-out from the rapper. "I didn't see it at first. Michael was on Twitter and he pointed it out to me. I was jumping up and down, saying, "This is awesome!'"

Lochte also plays down his mother's recent comments on Today about her son's lack of commitment in which she said that "he goes out on one-night stands."

Ryan insists that Mom just misspoke. "She meant I go on a lot of dates. She didn't mean anything negative. She's new to the whole media thing," he says.

Yes, he is single and ready mingle, and he tells us the qualifications for his dream girl:

"She has to be fit and can make me laugh."

Line forms here, ladies!