Ryan Lochte and three other US swimmers were handed varying punishments today for their involvement in a highly publicized incident during the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro last month.
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Lochte’s role in a gas-station confrontation with armed security guards during the Rio de Janeiro Olympics almost overshadowed the Games’ second week.
Lochte’s US teammates Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger and James Feigen were banned from all Team USA domestic and global competitions through December 31 and will receive no stipend from the USOC or USA Swimming or have access to USOC facilities during the suspension.
Lochte has also agreed to forfeit medal funding which he would have been entitled to for winning gold at Rio 2016 in the men’s 4×200 metres freestyle relay.
He’ll get no monthly funding from either organization, can’t access USOC training centers, must perform 20 hours of community service and will miss Team USA’s post-Olympics trip to the White House.
The embellishment of the story drew considerable attention and made the incident a prominent storyline during the second half of the Olympics, thus taking the focus away from athletes still competing.
Announcing the punishment for Lochte and three other swimmers, USOC CEO Scott Blackmun said, “The behavior of these athletes was not acceptable”.
The four U.S. swimmers accepted the suspension, which went into effect Thursday. He has also been ordered to perform 20 hours of community service and can not join the team at several upcoming events.
Lochte originally claimed that men with police badges had pointed a gun at his head and demanded money from the group.
Brazilian law enforcement official charged Lochte with making a false statement after admitting he had “over-exaggerated” his story.
CNN reports say the police investigation ruled out that the swimmers were stopped by security guards at the gas station.
While Lochte left Rio a couple of days after the incident, Bentz and Conger were dramatically hauled off a US-bound flight and only allowed to leave the country after questioning.
The disciplinary actions come after Ryan Lochte and three other American Olympic swimmers vandalized a gas station and falsely reported an armed robbery to Brazilian police.
Lochte, 32, lost four major sponsors after admitting he “over-exaggerated” his claim about being robbed and held at gunpoint with three other United States swimmers.
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In the wake of the incident, Lochte lost all of his major sponsorship deals, which were estimated to be worth at least $1 million annually.
