Following the conclusion of the swimming competition in Rio, Lochte and his teammates celebrated at a party and made a stop on the way home at a gas station in order to use a restroom.
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Gunnar Bentz, University of Georgia student and U.S. Swim Team member, has agreed to a four-month suspension following the events that transpired in during the Rio Olympics. “It unfairly maligned our hosts and diverted attention away from the historic achievements of Team USA”, said Blackmun. If convicted, Lochte could face one to six months in prison.
Forfeits all USOC and USA Swimming medal funding for his gold medal at the 2016 Olympic Games. By not swimming at the United States nationals, Lochte will also be ineligible to qualify for the 2017 FINA World championships.
All four athletes also won’t be allowed to join Team USA during their visit to the White House and won’t attend USA Swimming’s Golden Goggles fund raiser event.
In addition to the embarrassment of it all, he lost four endorsement deals in the wake of the scandal that consumed the final days of US media of the Olympics. The U.S. Olympic Committee and USA Swimming announced the penalties Thursday.
During the suspension to which Lochte agreed, the 32-year-old will receive no monthly stipend from USA Swimming or the USOC or have access or direct support to USOC training centers or other facilities.
Lochte’s attorney, Jeff Ostrow, did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press. Those sanctions will end on December 31 and will take away funding and training access.
The swimmer’s sponsorship deals have taken a hit since the incident, with Speedo, Polo Ralph Lauren, Gentle Hair Removal and mattress maker Airweave all saying they would be cutting ties with Lochte.
According to an article by SwimSwam, Bentz will have to take part in 10 hours of community service for violating the USA Swimming curfew for athletes under 21.
FINA, world swimming’s governing body, said in a statement that it was satisfied with the sanctions and would not seek additional bans.
While the near-10-month suspension is four months longer than what Michael Phelps received in 2014 for his second DUI, anything short of a ban from the next Olympics – never a realistic option – isn’t enough to truly derail Lochte’s career, either in or out of the pool.
Despite his embarrassment, Lochte has maintained a high profile, posting regularly on social media and accepting a spot on the upcoming season of “Dancing With The Stars”.
The International Olympic Committee’s ethics commission is also looking into the incident.
Last month, Brazilian police charged Lochte with filing a false robbery report, but Lochte has not said whether he’ll return to Brazil to defend himself.
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“Unfortunately, this storyline took attention away from the athletes who deserved it the most”, said Chuck Wielgus, the executive director for USA Swimming.
