Ryan Lochte Robbery News and Updates from the Rio Olympics 2016: Police Discredits Olympian's 'Rob' Story; Did Swimmer Make Inconsistent Statements?
What started out as a rally to bring home the gold for the US ended up in disgrace as Brazilian police discredited decorated athlete Ryan Lochte's claim that he and his three teammates were robbed at gunpoint.
Now, Olympic swimmers Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger were sent back home to the sound of jeers from the locals after their alleged fabricated stories greatly embarrassed the hosting nation.
New surveillance video and witness accounts of the incident, which transpired in a gas station in the Barra de Tijuca on Aug. 14, disproved Lochte's version of events. Lochte's statements were also marred with several inconsistencies. While there had been indeed a gun and turnover of cash, police disagree that what happened was indeed a robbery.
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Now, police reported that one of the swimmers had vandalized a bathroom door and broke several bathroom items, including a mirror and a soap dispenser. This happened after their group stopped there on their way back to the Olympic Athletes' Village.
Apologetic statement from the USOC
The revelation prompted a response from the United States Olympic Committee after the departure of Bentz and Conger.
In the statement, USOC chief Scott Blackmun apologized to Rio and the Brazilian people for the "distracting ordeal in the midst of what should rightly be a celebration of excellence."
The USOC statement corroborated police reports, saying an argument ensued between the Olympic swimmers and two armed gas station staff, as opposed to their initial story that they were gunmen posing as police.
Apparently, the staff demanded monetary payment for the damages they caused and eventually allowed the athletes to leave after they paid $20 U.S. and 100 Brazilian reals.
The statement came after days of USOC standing by its athletes' story. Days after, they denounced their athletes' behavior as unacceptable, saying they are not representative of Team USA.
Blackmun said they will continue to probe the matter and any potential fallout for the athletes once they get back home to the US.
Where the stories diverged
Here's a blitz of the inconsistencies in the athletes' story:
- Despite saying they had their valuables stolen, the video showed the athletes passing their things through a metal detector.
- Jimmy Feigen and Lochte had different numbers on the robbers that attacked them; Feigen said there were several, while Lochte said there was only one.
- Lochte said he was held at gunpoint, but police reported that the staff only aimed the gun at his general area because he was being rambunctious and angry.
- No violence took place in the said incident.
More trouble for Lochte
According to civil police chief Francisco Veloso, the athletes all said it was Ryan Lochte who created the falsehood and continued to perpetuate the story.
Lochte first opened up about the incident on US media in great detail, prompting a swift response from the Brazilian police who sought to clean up what was initially thought as an embarrassment to the host nation.
It turns out that the only crime committed in Rio was the fabricated allegations of robbery and violence, Veloso said. Lochte was also described by the witnesses as angrily confrontational and drunk during the incident.
Lochte is now home in the United States, while Feigen is still waiting for his passport in Brazil.
