U.S. swimmer Ryan Lochte has released a statement apologising for his role in a drunken incident at the Rio Olympic which initially saw him and three teammates tell police that they’d been robbed at gunpoint.
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Lochte said he was apologizing for his role in taking the focus away from other Olympic athletes.
As previously reported, the 32-year-old athlete claimed that he and his three teammates – Jimmy Feigen, Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger – were robbed at gunpoint at a gas station in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday. Instead, they said Lochte had vandalised a local gas station early on Sunday and had an altercation with a security guard.
But as of Friday, Lochte still insisted that he, Bentz, Conger and another swimmer, James Feigen, were mugged in Rio. Olympic swimmer James Feigen says he will pay about $10,800 Friday and then leave Brazil following the robbery scandal involving the USA swim team. Costa said Feigen’s passport would be returned and he would be able to leave Brazil after making the payment, ABC said. “I accept my responsibility for my role in this happening and have learned some valuable lessons”.
A new security video showed the United States athletes at the petrol station, where the manager said they broke down a door and relieved themselves in public.
After questioning, as of Thursday evening, Conger and Bentz were allowed to leave Rio and had arrived back in Miami on Friday morning, USA Today is reporting.
Police said the men denied there was robbery and Lochte’s account of events, but they have not yet made a public statement.
However, the International Olympic Committee might not be so charitable.
Feigen did not join Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger when they left Thursday night because he was ordered to donate nearly $11,000 to a local sports charity before charges against him would be dropped. “The apologies have been more than accepted”, he said.
It said: “They stopped at a gas station to use the restroom, where one of the athletes committed an act of vandalism”. Veloso said guards flashed a gun to prevent the men from leaving the scene, which ended with the swimmers giving about $55 to pay for the damage.
“They let down our athletes”, Blackmun said.
Three of Lochte’s sponsors are now reviewing the situation.
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“Instead, it’s become this worldwide incidents, and it’s embarrassing for USOC, it’s embarrassing for Ryan Lochte, it’s embarrassing for his three teammates”, said Nancy Armour, USA Today sports columnist.
