Summary: Olympian Ryan Lochte and his teammates will face punishment from the U.S. Olympic Committee for their involvement in the Rio robbery scandal.
Ryan Lochte and his three Olympic swimming buddies may face consequences from the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC). According to PEOPLE, USOC CEO Scott Blackmun said the four will face disciplinary action, but he did not specify what kind.
“They let down Americans,” Blackmun said. “People are going to remember the incident, but that doesn’t define these Games.”
Bleach-blonde Lochte earned the nickname “Swim Shady” after he was caught in an international incident brought on by his giant lie (he has since dyed his hair back to brown.) He told police, the press, and his mother that he and his Olympic swimming teammates Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger, and James Feigen had been robbed in Rio at gunpoint by men dressed as police officers.
“The guy pulled out his gun, he cocked it, put it to my forehead and he said, ‘Get down,’” Lochte said. “I put my hands up, I was like ‘whatever.’ He took our money, he took my wallet — he left my cell phone, he left my credentials.”
The story had sparked concern that the city of Rio de Janeiro had not taken enough action to protect the Olympic athletes that it was hosting. However, Rio authorities defended themselves by pointing out inconsistencies in Lochte’s story and showing video evidence that directly contrasted Lochte’s account.
Bentz and Conger’s lawyer said that the two had collaborated with the police and denied Lochte’s statement. On Friday, Lochte apologized on social meeting for his embellished tale.
“I want to apologize for my behavior last weekend—for not being more careful and more 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,” Lochte said.
- Also of interest: Olympian Shaun White Accused of Sexual Harassment, Watching Fecal Porn
In a Saturday interview on NBC, Lochte said that he had lied when he initially talked to the press because he was “still intoxicated.” He said he wanted to compete in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo but that he was unsure if he would be allowed to.
“That’s something that I’m going to have to live with,” Lochte said. “I know what I did was wrong and I know I learned my lesson.”
Do you think Lochte and his teammates will be allowed to swim in the 2020 Olympics?
Source: PEOPLE
Photo courtesy of Sports Illustrated