RIO OLYMPICS | Lochte apologizes for not being more candid about incident
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — U.S Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte has apologized for his behavior surrounding a late-night incident at a Rio de Janeiro gas station, saying he should have been more "careful and candid" about how he described what happened.
Lochte said in a lengthy post on Instagram today he was apologizing for his role in taking the focus away from other Olympic athletes.
The 12-time gold medalist reiterated his view that a stranger pointed a gun at him and demanded money to let him leave. Lochte had called it a robbery; Brazilian police said he and three other swimmers vandalized a gas station bathroom and were confronted by armed security guards.
"I accept responsibility for my role in this happening and have learned some valuable lessons," Lochte said.
Two of the other swimmers, Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger, were on their way home today after being held in the country to testify. The fourth swimmer, Jimmy Feigen, made a deal with a Brazil judge to make a $10,800 payment and be allowed to leave the country later today, his lawyer said.
"We accept and appreciate his apology," said Mario Andrada, spokesman for the local organizers of the Rio Games.
The drama surrounding the alleged robbery – and the ever-changing descriptions of it by the swimmers – has shocked and deeply angered Brazilians, who said it cast a false negative shadow on their city and their Olympics at a time the country is eager to prove it can host the games safely.
The story also dominated Olympic headlines, overshadowing the worthy accomplishments of athletes who trained for years just to get to Rio and set records during their performances. The saga was an enormous embarrassment for the U.S. Olympic team, which has dominated in the medal count.