Al Bello/Getty Images(NEW YORK) — Ryan Lochte and three other U.S. swimmers were handed varying punishments today for their involvement in a highly publicized incident during the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro last month.
In a joint statement, the United States Olympic Committee and USA Swimming announced that Lochte is suspended from the sport for 10 months and will have to miss both the 2017 world and national swimming championships. The 32-year-old must also perform 20 hours of community service.
Meanwhile, Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger and Jimmy Feigen are suspended from the sport for four months, the statement said.
The four swimmers will not receive a monthly stipend during their suspensions and are barred from accessing training centers or other facilities of the U.S. Olympic Committee, according to the statement.
The suspensions come after Lochte recently apologized for “over-exaggerating” a story about being held up at gunpoint in Brazil’s capital after leaving a party during the Olympic Games. The 12-time Olympic medalist had initially called the incident a robbery, saying that a man pointed a gun at his head at a gas station and demanded money from him and teammates Bentz, Conger and Feigen.
But police in Rio said Lochte’s story was a fabrication and that the swimmers were not robbed. Rather, police alleged they vandalized a bathroom at the gas station and were confronted by armed security guards who requested payment for the damage done.
Lochte, who returned home to Charlotte, North Carolina, has since backpedaled. He told NBC News’ Matt Lauer in a clip posted online that although a gun was drawn during the incident, it was not pointed at his head. He also said he “had too much to drink” that night and appeared to concede that he knew the armed guards were demanding money for the damage, not robbing them.
Still, Lochte maintained in the interview that he and his teammates were frightened because there was a gun involved.
Brazilian authorities recommended that Lochte and Feigen be charged with false reporting. Feigen, 26, agreed to donate approximately $11,000 to a Brazilian charity to avoid prosecution. He flew home to San Antonio, Texas, after making the payment.
The two other athletes involved — Bentz, 20, and Conger, 21 — returned home after giving statements to police. They claimed Lochte pulled a sign off a wall at the gas station, triggering a confrontation with the armed security guards.
All four swimmers have issued statements since the incident, apologizing for their behavior. Multiple sponsors, including Ralph Lauren and Speedo, have cut ties with Lochte as a result of the scandal.
Last month, both the U.S. Olympic Committee and USA Swimming released statements expressing disappointment in the athletes and pledging to further review the matter.
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