Ryan Lochte, the second-most decorated Olympic swimmer in US history, and three others from Team USA might face disciplinary action from the International Olympic Committee for the incident at a Rio gas station that continues to reverberate at the global athletic event.
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On Friday Lochte apologized via Instagram “for not being more careful and candid in how I described the events”.
After security video emerged of the incident, the U.S. Olympic Committee admitted an act of vandalism had taken place and apologized for the swimmers’ behaviour.
Many Brazilians have reacted angrily to the news that the swimmers fabricated their story, but others have said it shows the underlying problems in their crime-ridden nation.
“When you spoke with me on Wednesday night by phone, you didn’t tell me the whole truth”, Lauer said.
In Brazil, the response to the robbery allegation has been sharp. Damage is done! This marketing speech won’t save it. Btw, you were held under gun point to control yourselves ’cause you were all insane drunk breaking stuff at the gas station!
“There was no restroom inside [the gas station], so we foolishly relieved ourselves on the backside of the building behind some bushes”, he said in a statement. “Don’t apologize for a lie lying again”.
“The behavior of these athletes is not acceptable”, U.S. Olympic Committee CEO Scott Blackmun said late Thursday night. Lochte’s attorney, Jeff Ostrow, said the athletes had moved out after the completion of their sporting events and that his client had returned to the United States. When they realized there was no bathroom inside the gas station, Conger said they walked behind the gas station and urinated outside. An argument ensued between the athletes and two armed gas station security staff, who displayed their weapons, ordered the athletes from their vehicle and demanded the athletes provide a monetary payment. After another person stepped in to intervene the athletes left money, about $55 each, said police.
The U.S. Olympic team has sought to draw a line under the scandal which has embarrassed the host city and angered ordinary Brazilians who jeered Bentz and Conger, calling them “liars” and “fakes” as they made their way out of Brazil on Thursday. Brazilian civil police dropped all charges in exchange for Feigen paying roughly $11,000 dollars to a Brazilian charity organization. Conger said they received the help of a man who was able to translate for them, and the swimmers paid some money as compensation for the torn poster and went back to the Olympic village in another taxi.
As for Feigen, it now seems that he has also resolved his legal troubles.
RIO DE JANEIRO A Brazilian judge provided another twist to the saga of four USA swimmers embroiled in a scandal at the Rio Games, suspending permission for one of the athletes, Jimmy Feigen, to leave the country – even though he had flown home hours earlier.
It said it would further review the incident and assess any potential consequences for the athletes. The national swimming governing body suspended Dalbey from national and global competition and team training camps for 18 months.
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Possible punishments for breaking that rule include being kicked out of the federation. As NPR’s Howard Berkes tells us, USA Swimming’s code of conduct includes a broad rule concerning athletes’ behavior that is “detrimental to the image or reputation of USA Swimming. or the sport of swimming”.
