Lochte, in turn, expressed in a statement his gratitude to Speedo and said he respected the company’s decision.
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Swimsuit company Speedo USA, clothing giant Ralph Lauren and skin-care firm Syneron-Candela issued statements less than three hours apart, all with the same message: Lochte is out.
“Ralph Lauren continues to proudly sponsor the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic team and the values that its athletes embody”, the brand, which was the official outfitter for Team USA, said in a statement to Us Weekly. “We appreciate his many achievements and hope he moves forward and learns from his experience”.
Ralph Lauren said their sponsorship was only for the duration of the Olympics and would not be continuing.
Hair removal company Syneron Candela also ended its partnership with Lochte, four months after naming him its global brand ambassador for one of its products.
“We hold our employees to high standards, and we expect the same of our business partners”. “If I had never done that, we wouldn’t be in this mess”.
Global swimwear brand Speedo and USA fashion label Ralph Lauren topped the list of companies that ended their relationships with the 32-year-old Lochte, with the former noting his actions had not reflected the “values” it wished to promote.
Police said the group had been detained over the vandalization of a gas station bathroom, apparently led by a drunken Lochte – a major embarrassment for Team USA, an Olympic swimming powerhouse.
In an interview at NBC’s “Today” show aired on Monday, Lochte said, “I was upset, there was no reason for us to be sitting down with a gun pointed to us for nothing that we did”.
While there have been conflicting versions over whether the guards pulled their weapons on the swimmers, Lochte has since acknowledged he was highly intoxicated and that his behaviour led to the confrontation, which resulted in the swimmers paying about 50 dollars in USA and Brazilian currency before they were allowed to leave. Authorities in Brazil denied any robbery took place.
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Confronted by a security guard, they tried to leave. He said he was “truly, 110% sorry” to “the gas station owner, to Brazilian police, to the people of Rio and Brazil, everyone that came together to put on these wonderful games”. He also apologized in an interview with Brazil’s main broadcaster, Globo. The decision comes after the six-time Olympic gold medallist apologised for “over-exaggerating” claims he and teammates Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger and Jimmy Feigen were the victims of an armed robbery following a party in Rio de Janeiro on 14 August. “I over-exaggerated what was happening to me”. He finished fifth in the 200-meter individual medley, far behind longtime rival Michael Phelps, but did help Phelps and the Americans win gold in the 4×200 freestyle relay.
