Ryan Lochte made up Rio robbery story, Brazil police official says

U.S. Olympic swimmer, teammates allegedly damaged gas station, quarrelled with guards

The Associated Press Posted: Aug 18, 2016 11:35 AM ET, Last Updated: Aug 18, 2016 12:38 PM ET, http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/u...er-robbery-1.3726339

Ryan Lochte said he and his teammates were robbed at gunpoint in a taxi as they returned to the athletes village from a party, several hours after the last Olympic swimming events were held Sunday in Rio de Janeiro. (Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

A Brazilian police official told The Associated Press that American Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte fabricated a story about being robbed at gunpoint in Rio de Janeiro.

The official, who has direct knowledge of the investigation, spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak about an ongoing probe.

Lochte's teammates pulled off plane in Rio amid robbery probe

He said that around 6 a.m. local time on Sunday, Lochte, along with fellow American swimmers Jack Conger, Gunnar Bentz and Jimmy Feigen, stopped at a gas station in Barra da Tijuca, a suburb of Rio where many Olympic venues are located. One of the swimmers tried to open the door of an outside bathroom, but it was locked, the official said.

'These kids tried to have fun … they made a mistake.' — Mario Andrada, Rio 2016 spokesman

A few of the swimmers then pushed on the door and broke it. A security guard appeared and confronted them, the official said.

He said the guard was armed with a pistol, but never took it out or pointed it at the swimmers.

According to the official, the gas station manager then arrived. Using a customer to translate, the manager asked the swimmers to pay for the broken door. After a discussion, they paid him an unknown amount of money and then left.

Surveillance video from the gas station was aired on Brazil's Globo TV, and appears to show members of the U.S. Olympic swim team at about the same time they were allegedly robbed. (Globo TV)

The official said that Conger and Bentz told police that the robbery story had been fabricated. Earlier, authorities had taken the pair off their flight from Brazil. Lochte had already returned to the U.S.

A Brazilian television network aired surveillance video from the gas station at the time of the incident that appears to show the swimmers in an argument with staff.

A Rio Games spokesman defended the swimmers, saying they were just kids who were having fun and made a mistake.

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"These kids tried to have fun, they tried to represent their country to the best of their abilities," Rio 2016 spokesman Mario Andrada told reporters.

"They competed under gigantic pressure. Let's give these kids a break. Sometime you take actions that you later regret. They had fun, they made a mistake, life goes on."

Journalists surround U.S. Olympic swimmers Gunnar Bentz, left, and Jack Conger as they leave the police station at Rio International Airport early Thursday. (Mauro Pimentel/Associated Press)

Colin Cowherd was saying this afternoon that if this was Carmelo Anthony and three other basketball players, Obama would have had to give a speech.

Remember Obama had to give a speech because of the preaching of his pastor. No one is ridiculing these swimmers the way they would have had they been blacks. Not so long ago, people were so upset that Gabby Douglas did not put her hand on her heart during the national anthem. One seeming Trump supporter was so upset that he volunteered to personally take every black person back to Africa. But that was not the worse part of his post. There were worse which prompted one girl to tell him that his mother should have swallowed instead. Another person told him that he should be pushed back up his mother's vagina. Racism and bigotry is alive and well in America right now.

Even Cowherd who is white knows this too well.

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