For claiming he and three other members of the US Olympic delegation were robbed at gunpoint by fake cops at a gas station in Rio de Janeiro, swimming gold-medalist Ryan Lochte was robbed again. Monday it said it will donate a $50,000 portion of Lochte’s fee to Save the Children for children in Brazil.
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The company, which designs the outfits worn by US athletes during the opening and closing ceremonies, said Monday that the endorsement was specifically for the 2016 Olympics, and would not be renewed.
Airweave, a Japanese mattress company, also abruptly ended its endorsement deal with Lochte.
Syneron Candela, a hair removal company, also cancelled its sponsorship of the swimmer. “We wish Ryan well on his future endeavours and thank him for the time he spent supporting our brand”.
“Ryan Lochte has done absolutely irreparable damage to his reputation and marketability regardless of what the final investigation in Rio reveals about whether he embellished or lied, in addition to his reprehensible personal behavior as an ‘ugly American, ‘” Ray Katz, managing partner of ROI Sports Marketing Group and Columbia University professor, told FoxBusiness.com. Airweave, however, stressed that it will continue to sponsor the other Olympic and Paralympic athletes in the US. “I am proud of the performance we have achieved together”, he said.
Lochte issued a brief statement through his public relations firm addressing his long relationship with Speedo.
Lochte said he regretted how the incident had tarnished Rio and the last week of the Olympics.
“I think the best thing he can do is stay dark and stay in the pool”, he says. Fernando Deluz, a 38-year-old disc jockey, also said that Americans made a decision to pay for property they destroyed to avoid calling police.
Ryan Lochte is reportedly “not doing well” in the wake of his 2016 Rio Olympics robbery scandal.
Lochte, 32, said in a statement to Us after Speedo’s announcement, “I respect Speedo’s decision and am grateful for the opportunities that our partnership has afforded me over the years”.
U.S. Olympic Committee CEO Scott Blackmun on Sunday all but promised that Lochte and teammates Jimmy Feigen, Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger would be punished over their roles in the incident.
Reports said the swimmers were told to give money for the damage caused and authorities were later called in.
Lochte’s story is not unique in this regard: Earlier this year, automaker Mini dropped its sponsorship of Abby Wambach after a DUI arrest. He made a similar mea culpa to Brazil’s main broadcaster, Globo.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has formed a disciplinary committee to investigate the weird saga, while United States Olympic Committee (USOC) CEO Scott Blackmun recently hinted that additional disciplinary measures may be forthcoming.
After winning a gold medal in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay to add to his tally, Lochte’s 12 medals make him the second-most decorated male swimmer of all-time, second only to Michael Phelps.
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USA Today cited Deborah Srour, who said she practiced law in Brazil for 25 years and has represented Americans arrested in Brazil, as saying the swimmers’ actions do not match the accusation by police.
