Swimsuit company, Speedo USA, and clothing maker, Ralph Lauren, both announced Monday that they would no longer be working with Lochte.
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Airweave USA put out a statement on Twitter saying, “Our endorsement agreement with Ryan Lochte was in support of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games”.
“We can not condone behaviour that is counter to the values this brand has long stood for, ” Speedo said.
Global swimwear brand Speedo and USA fashion label Ralph Lauren topped the list of companies that ended their relationships with the 32-year-old Lochte, with the former noting his actions had not reflected the “values” it wished to promote. “We remain committed to supporting Team USA and the athletes preparing for the Paralympic Games”.
They had been returning to the Olympic village after a night out in Rio when they tried, unsuccessfully, to use the locked toilet and urinated outside instead.
“I’m sorry, he said”.
A subsidiary of United Kingdom -based Pentland Brands Limited, Speedo announced it would donate a $50,000 portion of Lochte’s pay to a charity that works with poor children in Brazil.
But reports later surfaced that the athletes had in fact not been robbed.
While there have been conflicting versions over whether the guards pulled their weapons on the swimmers, Lochte has since acknowledged he was highly intoxicated and that his behaviour led to the confrontation, which resulted in the swimmers paying about 50 dollars in U.S. and Brazilian currency before they were allowed to leave.
Paul Swangard, managing director of the Warsaw Sports Marketing Centre at the University of OR, said he was not surprised by the decision since most of Lochte’s marketing value was tied to campaigns prior to the Olympics. “Brands can easily seek out other athletes for the next Olympic cycle”.
Police said the group had been detained over the vandalization of a gas station bathroom, apparently led by a drunken Lochte – a major embarrassment for Team USA, an Olympic swimming powerhouse.
Ralph Lauren said it had signed Lochte to an endorsement deal specifically for the 2016 Games and the company will not be renewing the contract. He might also face criminal charges in Brazil.
Feigen wound up donating just under $11,000 to a Brazilian nonprofit sports organization to settle any potential legal action.
Lochte issued a brief statement through his public relations firm addressing his long relationship with Speedo. But Bentz denied the swimmers did any damage to a locked toilet as authorities alleged.
Lochte admitted Saturday he “over-exaggerated” assertions that he and three teammates were the victims of an armed robbery at a Rio De Janeiro gas station. He was the breakout star of the 2012 London Olympics, landing a short-lived reality TV series called “What Would Ryan Lochte Do?” and appearing, as himself, on top shows such as “30 Rock” and “90210”.
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At these games, Lochte had a greatly reduced role after qualifying for just one individual event. He finished fifth in the 200-meter individual medley, far behind longtime rival Michael Phelps, but did help Phelps and the Americans win gold in the 4×200 freestyle relay.
