The Ryan Lochte robbery saga finally comes to a close

American swimmer Ryan Lochte and his posse of swimming buddies have been handed their punishments for their wild night out in Rio.
 By 
Jenni Ryall
 on 
The Ryan Lochte robbery saga finally comes to a close
Ryan Lochte poses as Season 23 of 'Dancing With The Stars' meets the press at Planet Hollywood Times Square on September 7, 2016 in New York City. Credit: Bruce Glikas/Getty Images

American swimmer Ryan Lochte and his posse of swimming buddies have been handed their punishments for their wild night out in Rio.

The four Team USA swimmers -- Lochte, Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger, James Feigen -- were on their way back to the Olympic Village in Rio on Aug. 14 when they got in an altercation at a gas station. The group vandalized parts of the gas station before a gun-wielding security guard asked them for money to pay for the damages.

The actual facts of the night only surfaced after an investigation by Brazilian authorities, because of Lochte claiming live on television he had been robbed at gunpoint while in a taxi in the Brazilian capital.


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On Thursday, the United States Olympic Committee and USA Swimming announced in a statement the four swimmers violated the organization's code of conduct and had agreed to serve various suspensions as well as forfeit awards and opportunities.

Lochte will lose his gold medal bonus (reported to be around $25,000 per gold medal) and has been suspended from domestic and international competition for 10 months. During this time, he won't get his allowance from USA Swimming of the USOC and can't access any training centers of the USOC. He will also perform 20 hours community service.

The other three swimmers will also be suspended from domestic and international competition, but for four months and lose their monthly allowances. They will also not be allowed to attend the White House event. Bentz -- who, at 20 years old, is younger than the legal drinking age of 21 -- has been ordered to perform 10 hours of community service for breaking the curfew imposed on young athletes.

"During an otherwise extraordinary Olympic Games, a small group of athletes had lapses in judgement and conduct that are unacceptable and not consistent with our expectations. When Code of Conduct infractions occur, it’s our responsibility to take action that reflects the seriousness of what happened," USA Swimming's Executive Director Chuck Wielgus said in the statement.

"Unfortunately, this storyline took attention away from the athletes who deserved it the most. These athletes took accountability for their mistakes and are committed to represent themselves and our country with the great character and distinction we expect."

It's the final hit for Lochte, who lost all four of his major sponsors in August. Speedo, Ralph Lauren, Gentle Hair Removal and Airweave all dumped the swimmer after the incident in Rio.

The swimmer apologized for his behavior but did not outright admit he had lied about the incident, despite CCTV footage and authorities confirming his story was fabricated.

A photo posted by Ryanlochte (@ryanlochte) on

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Jenni Ryall

Jenni Ryall is Mashable's VP of Content Strategy. She spends her time launching cool, new things such as Mashable Deals and Mashable Reels. On the other days, she is developing strong partnerships with companies including Apple News, Flipboard, Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter and Reddit.

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