In addition to the closing ceremony ban, Palmer and McKeon have been barred from leaving the Olympic Village between the hours of 8 p.m. and 8 a.m., while the rest of the team will be subject to a 2 a.m. curfew for the remainder of the Games.
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Australian Rio Olympics swimmer Josh Palmer has been robbed in Copacabana and severely reprimanded by Australian team officials after a late night out that went horribly wrong.
Dolphins teammate McKeon was not present at the time of the robbery but had spent the night with friends in Copacabana without telling team management.
McKeon became separated from her Australian teammates and followed protocol by not catching a cab back to the village by herself, but erred by failing to contact team managers to let them know of her revised plan.
“I have raised the need for the swimming team leader to ensure he is aware of his athletes’ whereabouts”, Chiller said.
Two businessmen later found a disoriented Palmer in Rio de Janeiro’s Copa district and guided him to the Australian Consulate. No other members of the team breached regulations during the night out.
Lochte had initially claimed he was also robbed at gunpoint but footage has emerged of him and a group of teammates in a dispute with service station attendants after allegedly damaging the station.
‘Emma should receive a sanction for failing to inform team management but a ban from the closing ceremony is too harsh.
According to Palmer’s account, he was mugged and forced to withdraw $1,000 from an automated teller machine after a drinking spree in Copacabana.
Palmer participated in the 100 meter breaststroke and is now ranked 30th in the world.
McKeon stayed overnight with some Swedish swimming friends and failed to inform Australian officials, who have implemented strict security protocols in Rio to guard against frequent street crime.
The move to ban the pair has prompted more suggestions she is over-zealous, but the AOC would counter that the safety and security of more than 400 athletes in a potentially risky city is serious business.
“Both of those athletes breached the protocol, we’ve considered the ramifications of that and imposed a curfew on those two athletes from 8pm to 8am”.
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McKeon won four medals during her Rio campaign: Gold in the 4x100m freestyle relay, Silver in both the 4x200m freestyle relay and the 4x100m medley relay, and Bronze in the 200m freestyle.
