American swimmer Gunnar Bentz issued a public apology late Friday night for the gas station incident seen ’round the world, just hours after his teammate, Ryan Lochte, did the same.
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Bentz was one of four swimmers involved in an early morning incident Sunday that another swimmer, star Ryan Lochte, initially called an armed robbery by men who appeared to be police officers.
The drama surrounding the alleged robbery – and the ever-changing descriptions of it by the swimmers – has shocked and deeply angered Brazilians, who said it cast a negative shadow on their city and their Olympics.
Bentz’s apology follows one from Lochte earlier in the day on social media. 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 USA authorities to interview him in the United States.
“Again, I can not speak to his actions, but Ryan stood up and began to yell at the guards”.
Bentz and Conger were jeered by angry Brazilians before leaving for Rio airport on Thursday, but received support from some other passengers on their flight.
The saga of American swimmer Ryan Lochte and three teammates during the Rio Olympics has produced a head-spinning series of developments in Brazil and beyond. Pointing a gun at them?
Earlier Friday, Lochte apologized for his behavior, but stuck to the narrative that he and the others were forced to turn over money at gunpoint. He said he was never a suspect, and Brazilian authorities saw him as a witness.
The U.S. Olympic Committee has now apologized to the people of Brazil and says what these swimmers did is unacceptable. Bentz added that he was “unsure” why Lochte pulled the sign to the ground.
Conger continued, “Although I cooperated with their requests while there was a heated exchange among others, at one point a weapon was pointed at me”.
“As Jimmy and Jack were walking away from the vehicle, the first security guard held up a badge to me and drew his handgun”. “I’m glad he’s back, absolutely”.
It was then that Lochte got into the argument with the guards, Bentz said. “I then suggested to everyone that we needed to leave the area and we returned to the taxi”. Ultimately, Bentz said he and Feigen paid the equivalent of about $50.
“Videos of this situation have been emerging the last several days”. “I also believe some scenes have been skipped over”.
“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.
Speaking on his instagram account, Lochte said: “I want to apologise for my behaviour last weekend”. Police had pulled them off a flight on Wednesday night for further questioning. Feigen remains in Brazil. An employee at Bentz’s father’s business in Tucker said he would not be speaking to anyone until his son was back on US soil.
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The International Olympic Committee confirmed Friday it has set up a disciplinary commission to look into the matter.
