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Ryan Lochte apologizes on social media

“It’s traumatic to be out late with your friends in a foreign country – with a language barrier – and have a stranger point a gun at you and demand money to let you leave”, Lochte wrote. The fourth, Jimmy Feigen, made a deal with a judge to make a $10,800 payment and leave, his lawyer said.

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Rio’s mayor, Eduardo Paes, accepted the apology but said he had “pity and contempt” for the athletes involved.

But Rio police said the story was fabricated.

After the pair gave testimony about the morning in question, their passports were returned; they left Rio on Thursday, U.S. officials say.

Lochte and the others then vandalized the area near the bathroom and, according to the manager, urinated on the walls.

“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”, Lochte said.

The two men and fellow US swimmers Ryan Lochte and James Feigen reported being robbed at gunpoint early Sunday in a taxi bound for the Olympic Village by individuals posing as armed police officers, the US Olympic Committee said. During a news conference Thursday, Fernando Veloso, chief of Rio’s civil police, said the men were drunk and smashed up a gas station bathroom before being confronted by security guards.

His sponsors, including Speedo, Ralph Lauren and airweave premium bedding, have been in no hurry to cut ties with him, though they have said they are monitoring the situation.

Information from The Associated Press was included in this report.

Federal Police say Lochte left Brazil on Monday on a commercial flight, two days before the judicial order.

The case may not be settled even though police appear mostly finished with their probe.

Lochte hinted this might be the last time he addressed the controversy. Investigators couldn’t substantiate details given in early statements and interviews and the claim began to unravel. Rio police doubted the claims and produced video evidence that suggested the group had got into an argument at a petrol station after one of the athletes had vandalised a toilet door.

Veloso said the other swimmers say it was Lochte who created the lie. The security officials drew their guns after calling Rio police, who never responded. Veloso said the guards would have been justified in drawing their weapons because the athletes “were conducting themselves in a violent way”. It said they had been released, with the understanding they would discuss the incident Thursday.

A station employee called police, but the athletes wanted to leave so paid 100 Brazilian reals (about USA $33) and $20 in USA currency and left, Veloso said. He said that the focus of the Games should now turn back to the athletes who are still competing as the Games near their conclusion this weekend.

In an interview aired on Globo TV, Lochte apologised to Brazil.

Lochte told a sensational robbery story to NBC’s Billy Bush; was contradicted by local authorities; then modified the story in a later interview with Matt Lauer. “They pulled out their guns, they told the other swimmers to get down on the ground – they got down on the ground”.

After a few minutes, the swimmers stand up and appear to exchange something – perhaps cash, as police said – with one of the men.

The debacle prompted both wild speculation and social media mockery, which quickly turned to scorn after the official account went public.

Brazilian authorities announced Wednesday that they meant to seize the passports of the swimmers, which also included James Feigen, Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger, so they could talk to them further about the incident, saying there was evidence Feigen and Lochte had lied.

Michael Phelps finally broke his silence on the Ryan Lochte scandal. They, along with Feigen, swam in preliminary heats, and earned gold medals when their teammates won relays in the finals. While Lochte returned to the USA before a Brazilian judge ordered his passport seized, Feigen was forced to pay the equivalent of $10,800 to a Brazilian charity before he could leave the Olympic city on Friday.

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Lochte has said he plans to take an extended break after Rio, and relocate to Los Angeles.

Ryan Lochte