After rumors fly, U.S. Olympics Committee confirms Lochte robbery
After denying claims of foul-play on the streets of Rio, an Olympics spokesperson addresses the communications screw up—and athlete safety.
One of Olympics organizers’ biggest nightmare scenarios came to fruition early Sunday when a high-profile athlete, U.S. swimmer Ryan Lochte, was robbed at gunpoint.
Multiple sources have confirmed the story, despite early denials from the International Olympic Committee.
Lochte was robbed along with fellow U.S. swimmers Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger and Jimmy Feigen while riding in a taxi back toward the Olympic village.
“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 told NBC. “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.
He added:
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 cell phone, he left my credentials.
Lochte went on to post the following statement on Twitter:
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