Ryan Lochte and his United States swimming team-mates will find it “difficult to overcome” false claims they were caught up in an armed robbery at Rio 2016, according to US Olympic Committee CEO Scott Blackmun.
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It was just one week ago, but it feels like ages since the Olympic swimmer exaggerated the details of an incident at a Rio de Janeiro gas station with three other USA teammates.
In any event, before a more thorough investigation could be launched, Ryan Lochte managed to slip out of Brazil (some said, unfairly, that he had “fled” the country), while his three teammates were not only “detained”, but were actually removed from the airplane they had boarded. We hope his actions don’t contaminate the memories of the games for them.
U.S. Swim Team member Ryan Lochte fell on his verbal sword during an interview with NBC’s Matt Lauer that started airing over the weekend. The Associated Press on Thursday reported that Conger told police that Lochte fabricated the robbery narrative. Video surveillance footage also revealed that the true story of what happened which didn’t match up with Lochte’s initial reports.
Lochte, a 12-time Olympic medalist, wants to swim in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
Originally, Lochte told Brazilian authorities and Lauer an armed robber pointed a gun at his forehead and cocked the weapon. And if I had never done that, we wouldn’t be in this mess …
Lochte’s interview with the Globo TV network aired after the Brazil versus Germany game.
“We just wanted to get out of there”, Lochte said.
The 20-year-old said the guards confronted them after they had urinated behind some bushes and Lochte had torn the metal-framed advertising poster from the wall. “All we know is there was a gun pointed in our direction and we were demanded to give money”.
Lochte, who said he “had too much to drink” that night, maintained that he and the other athletes were frightened because a gun was involved.
Lochte sat down with NBC’s Matt Lauer for his first ever television interview about the robbery incident.
The swimmer, who won a gold medal in the 4x200m freestyle relay, also apologized to the people of Rio for any negative attention his story may have brought to their city.
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The two other swimmers, Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger have returned home after giving their statements. “And my immature behavior tarnished that a little, and I don’t want that”. The company plans to donate $50,000 to Save the Children, a charity for children in Brazil. “I just wanted to make sure they were home safe before I came out and talk”.
