United States Olympic Committee spokesperson Patrick Sandusky has confirmed the names of the three swimmers who were with Ryan Lochte early on Sunday morning when their taxi was robbed at gunpoint.
“According to four members of the U.S. Olympic Swimming Team (Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger, Jimmy Feigen and Ryan Lochte), they left France House early Sunday morning in a taxi headed for the Olympic Village. Their taxi was stopped by individuals posing as armed police officers who demanded the athletes’ money and other personal belongings. All four athletes are safe and cooperating with authorities.”
Bentz, Conger, and Feigen were all in Rio as relay-only swimmers. Bentz and Conger both swam on the 800 free relay and Feigen on the 400 free relay.
This is the latest update in an ongoing, developing story:
- Ryan Lochte’s mom says he was robbed at gunpoint.
- After the IOC said it was “absolutely not true,” Ryan Lochte confirmed the information to NBC.
Wait, what if they were robbed by hookers? Haha weird to think but I find it odd that at first it was reported as untrue and that they never contacted the police. Also, Locthe’s attiude was rather too calm. They were also leaving a night club. They only stole his wallet but nothing else, left his credentials? Hmmmm, just a fishy story. I can totally see them not wanting to report that a bunch of Team USA swimming gold medalist were robbed by a bunch of hookers after a good time.
Those Horns went down fast! The Gator stuck it out and fought back.
Longhorns enjoy to live. As I’m sure a lot of people do.
Like someone said, there’s a good possibility they actually WERE police officers. Brazil is pretty screwed up at the moment, sucks that it’s not even safe to take a cab from one Olympic facility to another.
I’m sure the Phelps party has had plenty of security around it. When I watched Debbie & Co in the stands, my first thoughts were that many of the people around here — especially the three behind her — were security.
One of the earlier nights when they were leaving their seats they were SURROUNDED by security. Like, the president doesn’t seem to get as much.
Good for the GOAT taking all the precautions with his family.
What if the robbers actually WERE police officers? It wouldn’t be surprising–many police officers in corrupt countries supplement their incomes this way. Another reason not to have located the Games in Rio, and a lesson for the future.
It’s been documented that this does actually happen in Brazil. Anybody who doesn’t realize the potential danger of holding the Olympics in a country dealing with these issues is just fooling themselves. Yes, the guidelines should be fair and include all countries equally but to a higher level of importance we have to honor the safety of the athletes and their families. Let’s just hope everyone stays safe and we are better prepared for Tokyo. If it looks like these lessons aren’t being learned from, let’s hope the officials are then terminated and a complete reassignment of those who make these decisions will be welcomed in.
Wow. Just wow. I truly hope you’re not American. Because, see, the hypocrisy of we Americans lecturing anyone else in the world on gun violence and gun crime – that would be, what is it MasterCard says? Oh yeah: PRICELESS.
I’ve been to Rio. Three times. And I’ve not been robbed, accosted, pick-pocketed, etc. Had a wonderful time, and tried not to do stupid things.
I lived in LA. And I was both robbed AND my house broken into in one six month period. Good thing nobody is pitching LA for the Olympics any time soon. Oh. Wait, My bad.
Umm…the US has the most guns and is 111th in murder rate. Brazil is 18th.
Yea but you’re one person who seems to have a lot of bad luck where you live and a lot of good luck in rio….no offense but you can’t call Chris a hypocrite based on your own personal life events
I can’t call someone out for decrying gun violence and gun crimes in another country, while overlooking the same here in the good ole USA? Really? Why not?
“Bad luck”? No. Victim of crime. Like millions of other people here in the US. It happens, daily, especially if you take the time to get outta the ‘burbs now and then. And we have our own poverty, and hunger, and illiteracy, and poor educational standards and performance, and drug wars, and violent gangs, and parts of large cities that tourists are cautioned not to enter – including some really close to where facilities will be built if LA is successful. Yeah, many of us have it pretty good. But we… Read more »
You’re just ignorant if you discout statistically accurate generalities like Chris just made in favor of your own personal experience.
I lived in a tough part of Johannesburg for a year and was never mugged either but i’ve had friends that were. The only time I’ve ever been mugged was in the states.
It would be just as disingenuous for me to claim my experience is what matters in the big picture as it is for you.
There is no such thing as a “statistically accurate generality”. An appropriate and specific analysis of robust data yields a statistically significant result, by an accepted definition, or it does not.
What I can say is that violent crimes involving firearms are more prevalent in the USA than in any other developed nation in the G8 excluding Russia, and I don’t think Russia should set any bar. And to that end, my only point is that we have work to do here, at home, before we cast aspersions on other countries. I’m not being disingenuous, and I’m not saying the US should not host more Olympic Games.
AGREED! Look at all the politicians in Los Angeles County being prosecuted for corruption. The international students killed near USC. Real officers prosecuted for rape. The gun violence, murders, robberies, increase in aggravated assaults, LAPD falsifying true crime statistics by downgrading crimes. Even parents of international students attending USC have spoken out against the inaccurate crime statistics when choosing to send their kids there. Crime is definitely on the rise here. The economy is also bad here for a lot of people and thus the rise in robberies, burglaries, home invasions etc.
The Japanese will knock the Olympics out of the park! They really take pride in doing things well.
Will the IOC turn their backs on the Olympians and deny this even happened?
It seems they already have
Wow. Green diving pool, Numerous problems in the village. And now atheletes being held uo at gun point….lets maybe not have the olympics in Brazil for a long long long time.
Our team did incredible this week, but I’m so glad they are getting out of Rio safely now. I realize most of us don’t know them personally, but these guys are on our team and, after watching them for years, something like this hurts on a personal level just as if it were someone on my club team.