“I accept responsibility for my role in this happening and have learned some valuable lessons”.
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They deny any involvement in the false robbery claim and were allowed to leave for the U.S. on a later flight.
James Feigen – one of the four US swimmers, including Ryan Lochte, involved in a robbery scandal in Rio de Janeiro – will donate around $10,800 to charity and then leave Brazil, his lawyer said, according to the Associated Press.
“Regardless of the behavior of anyone else that night, I should have been much more responsible in how I handled myself and for that am sorry”, Lochte said.
Lochte and the other swimmers could face sanctions from USA Swimming – including fines or a suspension. The group, as well as Olympic officials, publicly expressed disappointment and said they would further examine the matter. Swimming’s biggest meet next year is the world championships in Budapest, Hungary. Two other swimmers, Jack Conger and Gunnar Bentz, have already been allowed to return to the United States.
Brazilian authorities have accused Feigen and Lochte of making up a story about a robbery in an attempt to cover up an act of vandalism. Instead, they said Lochte had vandalised a local gas station early on Sunday and had an altercation with a security guard.
“My feeling is one of pity”, Mayor Eduardo Paes said.
But Brazilian authorities said there were inconsistencies in the swimmers’ accounts of the alleged crime.
The US Olympic Committee (USOC) later confirmed the version of events and apologised, saying the behaviour of the athletes “is not acceptable, nor does it represent the values of Team USA or the conduct of the vast majority of its members”.
Rio 2016 Olympics chief spokesman Mario Andrada, who had apologised to the athletes after the supposed robbery, was in forgiving mood yesterday.
“I’ve got boys that age”, said Lee McNutt, a 61-year-old Silicon Valley salesman returning from the Games.
Developments came rapidly after police asserted that the swimmers had not been robbed.
Police on Thursday said their investigation revealed the swimmers fabricated the story about being pulled over by men dressed as police and robbed at gunpoint.
Lochte left Brazil earlier this week, while Bentz and Conger left the country after they were questioned further by authorities.
The money will reportedly be donated to the Reaction Institute, a non-profit organisation set up by Brazilian Olympian medallist Flavio Canto which helps youngsters from deprived backgrounds get involved in judo. Melaragno did not specify where the money will go, but his use of the term “institution” can be taken to mean a charity. The attorney tells the wire service that under Brazilian law, donations can be made to avoid minor criminal charges.
“In theory, they could end up facing charges of falsely reporting a crime and damage to property”, he said.
The supposed gunpoint robbery that kicked off the scandal took place Saturday, a few hours after the last swimming race, during a night of revelry.
But when police began to investigate, the evidence appeared to tell a different story. Veloso said the guards would have been justified in drawing their weapons because the athletes “were conducting themselves in a violent way”.
CCTV footage contradicted their story, showing the swimmers had vandalised a petrol station. A gas station worker arrives, and other workers inspect the damage.
Bentz and Conger told police that they felt Lochte had lied about the situation in media interviews, according to text of the statements released by Rio police.
Update: 11:30 a.m.: USA swimmer Ryan Lochte defended his account of being mugged in Rio on The Today Show Wednesday, saying, “We wouldn’t make this up”.
The three other swimmers in the auto tried to leave as quickly as possible because they feared Lochte would cause more damage, G1 said, quoting from the revised testimony.
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Brazil’s Presidential Chief of Staff, Eliseu Padilha, said the swimmers should be held accountable. “And then, the guy pulled out his gun, he cocked it, put it to my forehead and he said, ‘Get down.’ I put my hands up, I was like ‘whatever.’ He took our money, he took my wallet – he left my cell phone, he left my credentials”.
