The scandal has angered Brazilians who jeered Bentz and Conger, calling them “liars” and “fakes” as they made their way out of the country on Thursday.
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Rio officials are appealing and want the fine increased to about $50,000.
Phelps arrived back in the United States on Wednesday after winning five gold medals and one silver in Rio.
While Bentz placed the blame on Lochte for instigating the trouble at the gas station early Sunday, he also supported a number of details in Lochte’s account. Brazilian police said a mirror and a soap dish were broken inside the bathroom. “No guns were drawn during this exchange, but we did see a gun tucked into one of the guard’s waistband”.
“We obviously accept Lochte’s apologies”.
“I was never a suspect in the case from the beginning (Brazilian law enforcement officials saw me only as a witness)”, he said.
However, Brazilian police pulled Bentz and Conger off a plane on Wednesday night, August 17, and took their passports, seeking clarification on the incident.
Gunnar Bentz, one of the USA swimmers associated with the alleged Rio robbery scandal with Ryan Lochte, is speaking out.
“It’s traumatic to be out late with your friends in a foreign country – with a language barrier”.
“This was a situation that could and should have been avoided”.
Lochte originally claimed that he and three teammates – James Feigen, Jack Conge and Gunnar Bentz – had been robbed at gunpoint by men posing as police, while on their way back to the Olympic Village on Sunday evening.
Veloso claimed the footage showed Lochte being confrontational with the guards and “very angry because he was intoxicated”.
After being detained at a local airport while leaving the Rio Games, Jack Conger and Gunnar Bentz told authorities the robbery story was, in fact, “fabricated”, the Associated Press reported via CNBC.
After the swimmers returned to their vehicle, according to Bentz, two men approached their auto and told them to come out. When they realized there was no bathroom inside the gas station, Conger said they walked behind the gas station and urinated outside. “We will further review the matter, and any potential consequences for the athletes, when we return to the United States”. The statement was released after Lochte told media outlets the group was robbed after the last Olympic swimming event.
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But amid all the tut-tut tweets is an uplifting post from a 10-year-old actor. JP Vanderloo, who has appeared in movies including “Wish You Well” and “Singularity”, is a huge fan of the U.S. Swim Team.
