4 USA Swimmers - got drunk & concocted a BS story in RIO

Ryan Lochte and Three Teammates Robbed at Gunpoint
By REBECCA R. RUIZ and VICTOR MATHERAUG. 14, 2016
RIO DE JANEIRO — Four American swimmers, including the six-time gold medalist Ryan Lochte, were held up at gunpoint early Sunday morning, according to the United States Olympic Committee.

The other United States swimmers robbed, according to a statement from the committee, were Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger and Jimmy Feigen.

“Their taxi was stopped by individuals posing as armed police officers who demanded the athletes’ money and other personal belongings,” a spokesman for the U.S.O.C. said. “All four athletes are safe and cooperating with authorities.”

Lochte told NBC News that one of the men had put a cocked gun to his head.

“We got pulled over, in the taxi, and these guys came out with a badge, a police badge, no lights, no nothing just a police badge and they pulled us over,” Lochte said. “They pulled out their guns, they told the other swimmers to get down on the ground — they got down on the ground. I refused, I was like we didn’t do anything wrong, so — I’m not getting down on the ground.
“And then the guy pulled out his gun, he cocked it, put it to my forehead and he said, ‘Get down,’ and I put my hands up, I was like ‘whatever.’ He took our money, he took my wallet — he left my cellphone, he left my credentials.”

Violent crime was a top concern in the lead-up to the Rio Games, as Brazil’s economic crisis deepened, pushing up unemployment and poverty rates.
The Rio state government has deployed a security force of 85,000 for the Games, and the streets surrounding the Olympic Park and athletes’ village sometimes look like military compounds, with jeeps filled with armed soldiers.

Nonetheless, on the night of the opening ceremony, the chief of security was mugged at knife-point. Two coaches for Australia’s rowing team were attacked and robbed in the Ipanema neighborhood, while some Olympians were robbed of belongings in the athletes’ village during a fire drill. Multiple bullets have landed in the equestrian venue, and a bus carrying members of the news media was attacked, its windows shattered.

The other United States swimmers robbed, according to a statement from the United States Olympic Committee, were Jimmy Feigen, left, Gunnar Bentz, and Jack Conger. Credit Tom Pennington/Getty Images, Eric Gay/Associated Press       

The American swimmers robbed on Sunday were leaving a party at Club France, the French hospitality house established during the Rio Games in the upscale Lagoa neighborhood, the U.S.O.C. spokesman said.

Hugo Sppezapria, a spokesman for Club France, confirmed that the swimmers had spent several hours at a party there, which began at 11:30 p.m. on Saturday and lasted until 5 a.m.

It was an electronic-house-music party, he said, and the group had attended in celebration of another swimmer’s birthday. He estimated that they left around 3 a.m.

Sppezapria distanced the party from the episode, saying that a police car had been stationed outside of Club France all night. “It sounds like a rough situation,” he said. “But it didn’t happen here.”
“I think they’re all shaken up,” Ileana Lochte, the swimmer’s mother, told USA Today. “They just took their wallets and basically that was it.”
 
He had initially denied reports of the robbery through Olympic officials.
At a news conference on Sunday, another American swimmer, Ryan Murphy, mentioned the multiple security briefings the team had received ahead of the Games. “I think we all trust our security guys, and they’ve done a great job,” he said.
A spokesman for U.S.A. Swimming declined at the news conference to specify what instructions those briefings had provided but noted that they had included tips on transportation in Rio.

Conflicting accounts of the taxi episode had swirled on Sunday morning, after a spokesman for the International Olympic Committee said that reports of the robbery were “absolutely not true,” citing information that had been provided by the United States committee.

After Ileana Lochte’s statements that her son had indeed been robbed, the I.O.C. spokesman said he had simply passed along information from the American Olympic officials. “They said they spoke to Lochte, and he said it wasn’t true,” the spokesman said. “I guess that may change.”

Ryan Lochte’s Twitter feed was silent on the matter; his last post was made Saturday, a picture of him with the snowboarder Shaun White. He did not respond Sunday to a request for comment.
David Marsh, Ryan Lochte’s coach, referred inquiries to the U.S.A. Swimming, which did not immediately reply to request for comment.

The civil police in the state of Rio said that “investigations are underway about the robbery suffered by American Olympic swimmers.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/15/sports/olympics/ryan-lochte-and-three-teammates-robbed-at-gunpoint.html?_r=0

Rio De Janeiro – Brazilian Judge Orders US Olympic Swimmers Passports Seized Amid Robbery Investigation
August 17, 2016  by Joe Levin
Rio de Janeiro – The father of American swimmer Ryan Lochte said Wednesday his gold medal-winning son arrived back in the United States before a Brazilian judge ordered that Lochte and U.S. teammate Jimmy Feigen stay in Brazil as authorities investigate their claim they were robbed during the Olympics.
Steve Lochte told The Associated Press by phone from his Florida home that his son called him Tuesday after arriving in the United States.
The 32-year-old swimmer was going to pick up his car and buy a new wallet to replace the one that he said was stolen in the robbery.
“I’m just happy he’s safe,” the elder Lochte said. “It was an unfortunate experience for him and the other three.
I don’t know what all the controversy is. They were basically taken out of the taxi and robbed. The main thing is he’s very lucky that he’s safe and that all they got was his cash and wallet.”
The elder Lochte said his son’s Olympic credential and cell phone weren’t taken during the incident early Sunday morning. He said he was sure Ryan had his passport or he would not have been allowed to board a plane.
Feigen’s whereabouts could not immediately be confirmed.
The office of Judge Keyla Blank confirmed the order to seize the passports of Lochte and Feigen in a statement Wednesday.
The U.S. Olympic Committee said police went to the athletes village Wednesday morning to try to collect the passports, but the swim team had already moved out.
“We will continue to cooperate with Brazilian authorities,” Sandusky said.
The U.S. State Department issued a statement Wednesday encouraging those involved to cooperate with Brazilian law enforcement.
A USA Swimming spokesman and Lochte’s attorney, Jeff Ostrow, did not immediately return messages seeking comment.
Lochte and three of his teammates said they were robbed at gunpoint in a taxi Sunday morning as they returned to the athletes village from a party, several hours after the last Olympic swimming events were held.
Police have found little evidence so far to support their accounts, and say the swimmers were unable to provide key details in police interviews.
“Why would anybody fabricate anything?” Steve Lochte said. “It’s just ridiculous.”
A police official with knowledge of the investigation told the AP that police cannot find their taxi driver or witnesses. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing.
Ostrow has said there is no question the robbery occurred.
Traveling with Lochte and 26-year-old Feigen were 21-year-old Gunnar Bentz and 20-year-old Jack Conger.
Lochte swam in two events at the Rio Games, winning gold in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay.
He is a 12-time Olympic medalist.
The group did not call police, authorities said, and officers began investigating once they saw media reports in which Lochte’s mother spoke about the robbery.
Police interviewed Lochte and one other swimmer, who said they had been intoxicated and could not remember what type and color of taxi they rode in or where the robbery happened, the police official said.
The swimmers also could not say what time the events occurred.
Later in the day, Lochte described the incident to NBC’s “Today” show .
“We got pulled over, in the taxi, and these guys came out with a badge, a police badge, no lights, no nothing just a police badge and they pulled us over,” Lochte said.
“They pulled out their guns, they told the other swimmers to get down on the ground — they got down on the ground. I refused, I was like we didn’t do anything wrong, so — I’m not getting down on the ground.
“And then the guy pulled out his gun, he cocked it, put it to my forehead and he said, ‘Get down,’ and I put my hands up, I was like ‘whatever.’ He took our money, he took my wallet — he left my cellphone, he left my credentials.”
Word of the robbery initially created confusion between Olympic and U.S. officials.
An International Olympic Committee spokesman at first said reports of the robbery were “absolutely not true,” then reversed himself, apologized and said he was relying on initial information from the USOC that was wrong.
Lochte told USA Today that he and his teammates didn’t initially tell the U.S. Olympic officials about the robbery “because we were afraid we’d get in trouble.”
http://www.totpi.com/rio-de-janeiro-brazilian-judge-orders-us-olympic-swimmers-passports-seized-amid-robbery-investigation/

Irn Bru wrote:Saw that on the news here. Brazillian cops found no evidence at all that they were robbed.

Why on earth would they make up such a story? Doesn't make sense.

Irn Bru wrote:I thought maybe an insurance scam to claim losses on insurance but they're not short of money to that extent that they would do that for a few hundred bucks and maybe a rolex.

Very odd indeed.

4EVER2 wrote:

Irn Bru wrote:I thought maybe an insurance scam to claim losses on insurance but they're not short of money to that extent that they would do that for a few hundred bucks and maybe a rolex.

Very odd indeed.

I'm still flumoxxed on the methods they would have used to fly out of Rio DeJaneiro without their passports and ID's ..since their wallots were stolen 
"Curious verrrryyyy - courious, said the spider to the fly"

Ostrow has said there is no question the robbery occurred.
Traveling with Lochte and 26-year-old Feigen were 21-year-old Gunnar Bentz and 20-year-old Jack Conger.
Lochte swam in two events at the Rio Games, winning gold in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay.
He is a 12-time Olympic medalist.
The group did not call police, authorities said, and officers began investigating once they saw media reports in which Lochte’s mother spoke about the robbery.
Police interviewed Lochte and one other swimmer, who said they had been intoxicated and could not remember what type and color of taxi they rode in or where the robbery happened, the police official said.

A police official told the Associated Press that the incident happened whe a group of US swimmers stopped on their way back after a night out at a petrol station and tried to use a toilet. Some of the swimmers pushed on the lavatory door and broke it. A security guard appeared and confronted them, the official said. 
The police official said the guard was armed with a pistol, but he never took it out or pointed it at the swimmers. According to the official, the manager then arrived. Using a customer to translate, the manager asked the swimmers to pay for the broken door. After a discussion, they did pay him an unknown amount of money and then left, the AP said.

sassy wrote:Why they thought it appropriate to make up a story about a robbery is beyond me!

WhoseYourWolfie wrote:
AND OTHER competitors aren't learning anything from those incidents, either  !!!

A couple of Aussie swimmers have been "grounded" -- and won't be appearing at the Closing ceremony --  after staying out a couple of hours late, and creating stories/excuses, a couple of nights back..

News   2016 Rio Summer Olympics              
Aug 19 2016, 9:13 am ET                
Jimmy Feigen, U.S. Swimmer in Lochte Scandal, Pays to Leave Rio
by Alastair Jamieson
One of the U.S. Olympic swimmers involved in Ryan Lochte's fabricated tale of robbery in Rio has reached a deal to donate almost $11,000 to a sports academy for kids in order to leave Brazil, his lawyer said Friday.
Gold medal winner Jimmy Feigen will have his passport returned as part of the agreement.  Feigen was one of four swimmers whose taxi ride back from a late-night party ended in a confrontation at a gas station, where police say the athletes vandalized a bathroom, damaging a door, a mirror and a soap dispenser.
Feigen was prevented from leaving Rio on Wednesday after Lochte's story about being robbed at gunpoint by men posing as police began to unravel under scrutiny from investigators.
"After a long deliberation, this agreement was reached … he will donate 35,000 real [approximately $10,800] to an institute, and with that the case is resolved," Feigen's lawyer Breno Melaragno told reporters.
He added: "After this donation is done, his passport will be given back to him, and he will be free to return home."
The money will go to Instituto Reacao, a judo academy for low-income kids and teens who want to learn the sport, Melaragno said. Rafaela Silva, who grew up in Rio's slums and became Brazil's first gold medalist of the Rio Olympics, trained there.
http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/2016-rio-summer-olympics/jimmy-feigen-u-s-swimmer-lochte-scandal-pays-leave-rio-n634201

Syl wrote:Should they have their medals taken away?

I think they should.

4EVER2 wrote:

Syl wrote:Should they have their medals taken away?

I think they should.

Naaaa, one stupid dunk'n night shouldn't take away their accomplishments for what they achieved for all of their work outs and training to obtain THOSE accolades - BUT; I'd lock they're immature asses down for any in the near future 'World Swim Team' events that usually happen next fall and into the spring! 
Especially Locke as the LIAR - LEADER of this bizarre event! 

Syl wrote:

4EVER2 wrote:Naaaa, one stupid dunk'n night shouldn't take away their accomplishments for what they achieved for all of their work outs and training to obtain THOSE accolades - BUT; I'd lock they're immature asses down for any in the near future 'World Swim Team' events that usually happen next fall and into the spring! 
Especially Locke as the LIAR - LEADER of this bizarre event! 

What they did though could have reflected badly on the US, sullying all the fabulous efforts that everyone else has achieved in these games, and had they got away with it they would have been happy to let the host country be shamed.
I doubt they would have come clean after they had sobered up.

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Speedo is the first Ryan Lochte sponsor to cut its ties with the disgraced U.S. swimmer.

"While we have enjoyed a winning relationship with Ryan for over a decade and he has been an important member of the Speedo team, we cannot condone behavior that is counter to the values this brand has long stood for," said its statement. "We appreciate his many achievements and hope he moves forward and learns from this experience."

Lochte and three teammates said they had been robbed at gunpoint after attending a party at the Olympics, but it was soon discovered the four athletes allegedly vandalized a gas station and urinated on the building. Authorities in Brazil denied any robbery took place.
Ryan Lochte endorsements could be in trouble
On Friday, he apologized in a statement, saying he should have been "more careful and candid" from the get-go. In the excerpt shown on NBC, Lochte said "I over-exaggerated that story and if I had never done that we wouldn't be in this mess." 

Speedo initially said it was following the situation and that it has a policy not to comment on ongoing legal investigations.
Monday it said it will donate a $50,000 portion of Lochte's fee to Save the Children for children in Brazil.

Lochte: 'I over-exaggerated' Olympics robbery story
CNNMoney (New York) First published August 22, 2016: 11:40 AM ET
http://money.cnn.com/2016/08/22/news/companies/ryan-lochte-speedo/index.html

veya_victaous wrote:good to hear he has lost his major sponsers

he has immortalised himslef as the 'guy that lied in rio'

veya_victaous wrote:yeah but phelps smoked pot
and as much as gov't, corp, tobacco/alchohol lobby want people to think pot smokers are evil MOST people do not think that and many think positivily of pot smoker than breaks the sterotype, like by winning a fuck tonne of gold medals.

this dude is a vandal and liar. and never heard of him for anything But being a vandal and liar.

Original Quill wrote:Well, he's lost all of his high-profile endorsements, including Speedo and Polo Ralph Loren.

Michael Phelps’ second DUI arrest, coupled with his 2009 bong photo, may not sink him as a beloved corporate pitchman but could douse his earning power, branding experts say.
The Olympic swimming champion, 29, has for a decade thrived atop a deep reservoir of goodwill and American pride, weathering past indiscretions while pooling tens of millions of dollars in sponsorship deals by hawking watches, sandwiches, swim wear, and more.
But will his long sprint as a sleek corporate brand stall when three public PR slips are measured against his 18 gold medals, the most by any Olympian ever?
“The difference between a rut and a grave is the depth — and Phelps is digging deep,” said Dean Crutchfield, a New York-based brand consultant. His past clients include BP, PepsiCo and McDonald’s.

http://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/will-michael-phelps-new-dui-charge-dim-his-sponsorship-gold-n215206

Original Quill wrote:I don't know...there's a malevolence associated with Locke that is not the case with Phelps.

Phelps may be a drunk, but Locke is a selfish, narcissistic drunk.

veya_victaous wrote:

Original Quill wrote:I don't know...there's a malevolence associated with Locke that is not the case with Phelps.

Phelps may be a drunk, but Locke is a selfish, narcissistic drunk.

yeah thats it
it made phelps seem like a 'real guy', that you might have a beer or a bong with.
where this locke guy just comes across as a self-entitled lying asshole.

Syl wrote:Sad that role models like Mark Spitz are no longer looked up to.
He was my all time Olympic hero.

Olympic Swimming Legend Mark Spitz Sounds Off On Ryan Lochte Mess
August 19, 2016 11:33 PM        
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com)  —   Olympic gold medalist legend Mark Spitz was scheduled to make a meet-and-greet public appearance Friday night at the downtown Santa Monica Metro Expo line.
While Spitz was set to sign autographs and pose with riders, everyone, of course, wanted to know his take on the Ryan Lochte mess.
Spitz spoke with CBS2’s Jeff Nguyen. He wasted no time weighing in on Lochte.
“I’m sort of sad that it happened in the first place,” he said.
Spitz called the entire episode an unnecessary distraction.
“Unfortunately,” he said, “this sort of stole that attention away from the some of the great performances.”

(credit: Tony Duffy/Allsport/Getty Images)
Spitz won seven gold medals at the 1972 Munich games, a personal record medal haul that stood until broken by Michael Phelps in 2008. Moreover, all Spitz’s gold medals in 1972 were won in world record time, an accomplishment that has never been equaled. In all, Spitz has nine gold medals (the other two came in the 1968 Mexico City games.) He also has a silver and a bronze Olympic medal, five Pan American gold medals and 31 amateur athletic titles to fill out his trophy case.
As someone who represented the country on several occasions, Spitz could weigh in on whether Lochte should continue to have the USA on his back — before the controversy, Lochte said he was considering trying out for the games in Tokyo four years from now.
Nguyen asked Spitz if that was a good idea.
“I’m not the judge and jury nor the executioner,” he said, “I think that U.S. swimming will evaluate a lot of what that means. I don’t know what the possibilities might be.”
He does believe sports fans tend to be forgiving and have a short-term memory and that he thinks Lochte deserves a second chance.
Metro and the Los Angeles 2024 Olympic Candidature Committee is showcasing gold medalists from the past to visit Metro stations as a way to thank riders for going Metro. It’s also away to honor past champions and build enthusiasm for a bid by Los Angeles to be host city for the 2024 games.
A pin-up poster of Spitz in a red, white and blue Speedo with seven gold medals around his neck became iconic and one of the best-selling posters of all time.
Spitz, now 66, has been married to wife Suzy Weiner since 1973. The couple have two sons, Justin and Matthew Spitz.
http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2016/08/19/olympic-swimming-legend-mark-spitz-sounds-off-on-ryan-lochte-mess/

Syl wrote:Lol 4Ever...we must have the same taste. I had a pic of him on the wall where I worked...soon after I met my OH, people said.."So you found your own Mark Spitz then"...he looked very much like him.

4EVER2 wrote:

Syl wrote:Lol 4Ever...we must have the same taste. I had a pic of him on the wall where I worked...soon after I met my OH, people said.."So you found your own Mark Spitz then"...he looked very much like him.

Oh, that is far too funny; my dearly departed had thick brown/black hair and that black mustache as well ...and I remember your soccer photo - your OH with all that thick head of hair as well!   
So quirky ...my guy sounded very much like Sam Elliot {the actor}, nearly makes my heart stop when I hear Sam in his movies! 

Rio police charge Ryan Lochte with filing false robbery report

USA TODAY Sports 6:49 a.m. EDT August 26, 2016
Ryan Lochte has been charged by Brazilian police with filing a false report over an incident during the Olympics in Rio de Janerio, according to a statement obtained by USA TODAY Sports from the Rio police Thursday.
Lochte will be informed of the charges in the United States and can then decide whether to introduce a defense in Brazil. The statement also said a copy of the evidence could be sent to the International Olympic Committee's ethics commission.
"The U.S. swimmer Ryan Lochte has been charged with the crime of false communication," the statement read, in part.
Lochte's attorney, Jeffrey Ostrow, said Lochte has not heard from officials in Rio.
“I’m endeavoring to obtain more information and we intend to fully cooperate with the government as we have all along,” Ostrow told USA TODAY Sports.
Lochte initially said that he and three teammates — fellow swimmers Jack Conger, Gunnar Bentz and Jimmy Feigen — were robbed at gunpoint Aug. 14 by men with a police badge as they returned in a taxi to the Olympic Village from a party. He later amended details, such as a gun being cocked at his forehead.

Brazilian police alleged that the U.S. swimmers vandalized a gas station restroom. But a USA TODAY Sports investigation found that while Lochte pulled down a metal advertisement and the swimmers urinated behind the gas station restroom, there was no other evidence of vandalism.
In addition, police never questioned the swimmers about the alleged vandalism, according to transcripts of testimony given by the Americans to Rio law enforcement and viewed by USA TODAY Sports.

Feigen was detained in Rio last week and eventually paid about $10,000 in a settlement to avoid charges, though he could have performed community service.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2016/08/25/rio-police-charge-lochte-with-false-report-of-robbery/89365796/

Ryan Lochte adds Pine Bros., cough drop maker, as new sponsor
Griffin Adams, USA TODAY 6:56 p.m. EDT August 25, 2016
After being dropped by four major sponsors this week, Ryan Lochte picked up a new one Thursday with Pine Bros. Softish Throat Drops.
Lochte will appear in ads for the company with the tagline, “Pine Bros. Softish Throat Drops: Forgiving On Your Throat,” according to a statement.
"Thanks to all the folks at pine bros. for your confidence in me. I look forward to making you proud," Lochte tweeted.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/rio-2016/2016/08/25/ryan-lochte-adds-pine-bros-cough-drop-maker-new-sponsor/89357462/