Ryan Lochte lied about swimmer being held at gunpoint
In 2016, Ryan Lochte said he and other swimmers on the U.S. team Gunnar Benz, Jack Conger and James Feigen During the Rio Olympics, he was robbed at gunpoint at a gas station in Brazil, admitting that he was drunk at the time and celebrating his team's victory.
After returning to the Olympic Village, Lochte told his mother what had happened, and she later told reporters that he had been robbed at gunpoint. Lochte then spoke to the media himself.
“They stopped us,” he said. Billy Bush for today“They pulled out their guns. They told the other swimmers to get on the ground, and they did. I refused. I said, 'We're not going to get on the ground because we haven't done anything wrong.'”
“And he pulls out a gun, pulls the trigger, puts it to my forehead and says, 'Get down,'” Lochte continued. “I put my hands up and I'm like, 'Whatever.' And he takes our money, he takes our wallets.”
Lochte, a 12-time medal winner, doubled down on his claims, but there were conflicting stories: According to NBC News, police denied Lochte's claims and said he, Benz, Conger and Feigen were approached by a gas station security guard, who pulled guns on them and demanded compensation for damages the Olympians allegedly caused.
Lochte eventually admitted he had “exaggerated” his story and said that although the gun was drawn, it wasn't pointed at his head.
“I made a mistake and I've certainly learned from this,” he told NBC News' Matt Lauer. “I'm truly sorry.”
Lochte was suspended from competitive swimming for 10 months.
