Meanwhile, Lochte, 32, issued an apology on Friday for his “behavior” at a gas station last weekend. The man told the Americans they needed to pay the guards in order to leave. But he said he and three fellow swimmers faced a “traumatic” situation that involved a language barrier and a stranger pointing a gun at them. The swimmers raise their hands before the exchange in a manner consistent with someone pulling a gun on them.
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Bentz, in a statement released by the University of Georgia, where he is a rising junior, said the swimmers had stopped at the store to use the bathroom. Police say they vandalized a bathroom at a gas station and fabricated a story about a robbery. “Once the security officials received money from the athletes, the athletes were allowed to leave”. Bentz said a security guard flashed a badge at him and drew his handgun.
“I yelled to them to come back toward us and they complied”, he said.
Gunnar Bentz, a U.S. swimmer who was with Lochte that night, tweeted a long apology to his fans.
The story is said to have embarrassed the IOC and the US Olympics Committee (USOC), which has described the behaviour of the sportsmen as “not acceptable”.
The case quickly spiraled into an global matter involving consular officials, lawyers and judicial orders.
The footage doesn’t show a weapon, but a police official, speaking on condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing, said two guards pointed guns at the swimmers.
Bentz and Conger were pulled off a plan to the United States that evening so they could be questioned. Police still want to speak to Lochte, who was also summonsed to appear before the judge on Friday, and say they hope to agree with US authorities to interview him in the United States.
Bentz said Friday he never made a false statement to anyone, he said. He characterized his interaction with investigators as being a witness.
But given Lochte’s high profile, his mugging claim and the reported involvement of someone with police identification caused huge embarrassment, overshadowing sporting action in the second week of the Games, which end Sunday.
“I accept my responsibility for my role in this happening and have learned some valuable lessons”.
In a news conference yesterday, Rio police said USA swimmers Jack Conger and Gunnar Bentz, who had been pulled off an airplane by authorities as they attempted to return to the US, gave statements that they had not been victims of a robbery, as Lochte had reported and told NBC News in interviews.
Like other pro swimmers, Lochte is reliant on sponsors to foot his bills so he can focus on year-round training and travel to meets without having to hold a regular job.
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Brazilian police have said this isn’t true and that in fact they had been drunk and had instead been confronted by armed guards after smashing up a petrol station toilet.
