Lochte, 32, was given 10-month suspension from competencies in the USA and overseas, meaning he will not participate in the 2017 world championships in Budapest.
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One of the most memorable moments during the recently-concluded 2016 Rio Olympics was also one of the most embarrassing in United States sporting history.
The three other swimmers with Lochte on the morning of August 14 – Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger and James Feigen – were suspended for four months each, but remain eligible for the world championships.
Last month, Brazilian police charged Lochte with filing a false robbery report, but Lochte has not said whether he will return to Brazil to defend himself.
By comparison, swimming superstar Michael Phelps was handed a six-month suspension for a second offense of driving under the influence in 2014.
He will be unable to compete in the swimming world championships in Hungary next July.
That announcement came as the gold medallist said he thought reaction to his Rio de Janeiro tale had been blown out of proportion. An official announcement about the suspension is expected to be made by both the USOC and U.S. Swimming at some point on September 8.
“Each of the athletes has accepted responsibility for his actions and accepted the appropriate sanctions”, Blackmun said. He later altered his story, saying that the group wasn’t pulled over but instead, they were robbed at a gas station after having the taxi pull over so they could use the restroom.
Swimmer Ryan Lochte was sanctioned by USA Swimming and the United States Olympic Committee after lying about being robbed during Rio Olympics 2016. “We look forward to focusing our energy on the Paralympic Games and the incredible men and women representing our country in Rio”.
According to Brazilian authorities, the swimmers got into an altercation with a security guard over allegedly damaging a bathroom and being told to pay to cover the cost of repairs. On the night of August 17, police removed Conger and Bentz from a US -bound plane at Tom Jobim Airport.
He will also be unable to access USOC training centres, and will miss Team USA’s post-Olympics visit to the White House.
“Unfortunately, this storyline took attention away from the athletes who deserved it the most”, USA Swimming CEO Chuck Wielgus said in a statement.
Lochte says he has offered to reimburse Feigen for a almost $11,000 fine Feigen paid to resolve legal issues and leave the country.
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The swimmer added that he had signed up for ballroom reality show Dancing with the Stars long before the scandal, so it wasn’t just an attempt to clean up his image.
