“I wanted to apologize for my behavior last weekend-for not being more careful and candid in how I described the events of that early morning and for my role in taking the focus away from the many athletes fulfilling their dreams of participating in the Olympics”, he wrote on August 19.
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“There has already been too much said and too many valuable resources dedicated to what happened last weekend, so I hope we spend our time celebrating the great stories and performances of these Games and look ahead to celebrating future successes”.
Angry Brazilian authorities turned the tables on the swimmers this week as it became clear that the mugging drama did not hold up.
Lochte now claims he didn’t want to tell the (whole) truth until he was sure the other three swimmers had safely left Brazil.
Should you have missed the essence of this tale, Lochte claimed he and three fellow swimmers, James Feigen, Gunner Bentz and Jack Conger were mugged by armed robbers posing as police officers.
There was no evidence of violence against the athletes, police noted. The athletes broke mirrors and damaged other things in the bathroom, police said.
The apology came as testimony emerged from other US swimmers challenging Lochte’s initial version of events.
Confronted by a security guard, they tried to leave.
A security guard did pull a gun on the men because he told authorities they were acting aggressive. We paid some money to compensate them for the torn poster, and returned to the Village in a different taxi.
Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes, speaking in a public forum Friday, said he appreciated the apology the previous night from the U.S. Olympic Committee.
“The images do not show any kind of violence against them”.
Bentz and Conger arrived in Miami on Friday aboard an American Airlines flight from Brazil, having sat in curtained-off seats for much of the journey.
Lochte issued an apology on Friday and Feigen agreed to pay 35,000 reais ($11,000) to a charity.
The swimmers will now have to face Olympic team leaders back home. USA Swimming said it could also take possible action.
Blackmun also called the swimmers’ conduct “not acceptable”.
The USOC said it would further review the incident and assess any potential consequences for the athletes. Numerous athletes – including a British team member on Tuesday night – have been mugged.
The case has ignited a debate that goes well beyond sports, eliciting an apology from U.S. Olympic officials and outrage from Brazilians who accuse Lochte of smearing Rio’s reputation as it held one of the most important worldwide events in Brazil’s history.
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Brazilian media has covered the United States athletes’ subsequent humiliation in exhaustive detail. Following investigations by Brazilian police, it was revealed the four men had made up the story to cover up an incident at a petrol station in which the athletes vandalised a toilet.
