The four swimmers have all their belongings and are cracking jokes as they pass through the security check.
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As a result of the discrepancies, two of Lochte’s fellow swimmers were pulled from their flights back to the USA for further questioning, and a third has agreed to pay about $11,000 to a Brazilian charity in exchange for permission to leave the country.
After security video emerged of the incident, the U.S. Olympic Committee admitted an act of vandalism had taken place and asked forgiveness for the swimmers’ conduct. Bentz said that as Jack Conger and James Feigen walked away from the auto a man held up a badge and pulled a gun on the Americans.
Bentz, a University of Georgia student, followed in his teammate’s footsteps and apologized Friday to United States officials, his teammates and his university.
Feigen’s departure came after Lochte apologised for his behaviour, saying he should have been more “careful and candid” about how he described what happened.
The case quickly spiraled into an global matter involving consular officials, lawyers and judicial orders.
It was his first comment since the Rio de Janeiro police chief called Lochte’s story of being held at gunpoint and robbed an outright lie.
Bentz and Conger stumbled just as they were getting started on the global stage, so the repercussions could linger longest with the Olympic rookies.
Until his apology, Lochte had been silent about the situation after he returned to the United States early this week. He characterized his interaction with investigators as being a witness.
The three other swimmers in the vehicle tried to leave as quickly as possible because they feared Lochte would cause more damage, G1 said, quoting from the revised testimony. “I accept responsibility for my role in this happening and have learned some valuable lessons”, he said.
Lochte originally claimed that their auto was pulled over at gunpoint by men posing as police officers.
Veloso said police investigations had shown that the swimmers had caused damage in the bathroom, adding that they then handed over a total of $51 in compensation. In everything I do, I am representing my family, my country and my school.
Lochte’s success led to his own 2013 reality TV show called What Would Ryan Lochte Do?
But his apology and the video still do not clear up the biggest question – were the swimmers robbed?
The stories, however, seem to diverge at a single point – when Lochte re-entered a taxi after stopping at the station.
Bentz and Conger arrived in Miami on Friday aboard an American Airlines flight from Brazil, having sat in curtained-off seats for much of the journey.
A police source said Feigen’s passport would be released once he made the payment and presented a receipt to authorities.
Police said one of the swimmers had vandalized a gas station after the group stopped the taxi there to use a bathroom.
The U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) also apologized to Brazil for the swimmers’ behaviour.
“I hope that there is more that comes out of it, find out a little bit more about the security guard or the military police or whoever it was specifically that extorted the money”, he told USA Today.
“My feeling is one of pity”, Mayor Eduardo Paes said.
I also want to express my gratitude for the support I’ve received from my family and friends, USA Swimming, the US Olympic Committee, and the University of Texas.
Rio is plagued by violent crime and Brazil has deployed 85,000 police and soldiers to secure the Olympics.
“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”, Lochte told Matt Lauer of NBC the following day.
The police early on appeared to have doubts about the 32-year-old swimmer’s veracity.
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His sponsors, including Speedo, Ralph Lauren and airweave premium bedding, have been in no hurry to cut ties with him, though have said they are monitoring the situation.
