The recommendation follows Brazil police stipulating that Lochte, Feigen and two other United States swimmers who said they were held up at gunpoint were not robbed.
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Motokuni Takaoka declined to comment specifically on Lochte’s predicament, saying via e-mail, “I respect the athletic performance of Ryan, and as long as he is a respectable athlete, he will remain the USA ambassador for Airweave as long as our partnership agreement remains effective”.
Since the report, it has been alleged by Rio De Janeiro police that Lochte and his teammates vandalized a gas station restroom.
Brazilian judge Keyla Blanc de Cnop said Lochte and Feigen gave contradictory accounts of the robbery, according to the court’s statement. Brazilian police officials are now asserting that guns were pointed at Ryan Lochte and his American teammates.
“They were very shocked and did not understand why they were refused passage (out of Brazil)”, said the athletes’ defense lawyer Sergio Guerra.
Lochte, an Olympic gold medalist, initially told authorities that men impersonating police officers pulled over a taxi carrying the four swimmers after a night of partying.
NBC reported Wednesday night that Lochte backed off some of his earlier claims about the robbery.
Local station O Globo says it obtained security footage from that gas station we mentioned before. They had fun. They made a mistake. Instead of the robber putting a gun to his head, he said the the weapon just pointed it in his direction. His lawyer earlier said he gave police a statement as representatives from the U.S. State Department, U.S. Olympic Committee and the Federal Bureau of Investigation observed.
While the police official originally said that the guards did not take out their guns during the confrontation, a new AP report states that two guards did indeed draw pistols at Lochte and the three other swimmers. “They left that money for the damages they had caused and they left the scene before a police vehicle could arrive”.
“Right now they [police] can affirm that there were no robberies the way it was reported or claimed by the athletes”.
“I will know much more today“, Bauerle said, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
Multiple sources told NBC Sports that Conger and Bentz cleared security and were in their seats on the plane when authorities came on to the aircraft shortly before takeoff and removed the swimmers.
The police say they are now considering charging the swimmers with vandalism and giving false testimony.
Feigen also is still in Brazil, while Lochte returned to the United States Monday before any of the news emerged.
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“And then the guy pulled out his gun, he cocked it, put it to my forehead and he said, ‘Get down, ‘ and I put my hands up, I was like ‘whatever.’ He took our money, he took my wallet – he left my cellphone, he left my credentials”.
