Team USA swimmer Ryan Lochte robbed at gunpoint in Rio
The USOC has confirmed that Team USA swimmer Ryan Lochte was robbed at gunpoint after attending a party in Rio on Sunday morning.
Patrick Sandusky, a spokesperson for the USOC (United States Olympic Committee), released the following statement on Sunday, identifying swimmers Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger and Jimmy Feigen as the other victims of the robbery. According to the USOC, the the crime was committed by individuals who posed as armed police.
“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.”
Initially, the IOC denied the reports. However, Lochte's mother, Ileana Lochte, told both USA Today and Fox Sports Australia that her son had been robbed.
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A representative for Brazilian swimmer Thiago Pereira, who was with Lochte earlier in the evening, told the Washington Post that Lochte was leaving Club France in a taxi when the robbery occurred.
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Lochte was not harmed during the robbery.
According to the Post, Lochte and Pereira were attending a birthday party for a mutual friend at Club France before separating.
“Thiago Pereira and his wife Gabriela Pauletti were in Club France, the French house in Brazil, and they were celebrating the birthday of a friend in common,” said Perez, Pereira’s spokesman. “Lochte was also in the same place, commemorating the same birthday. Ryan and Thiago are friends. Thiago and his wife left earlier, they left alone, the two of them. Thiago and his wife went back to their hotel. Then Thiago, on finding out what happened, called Ryan. Ryan is well, and Thiago said that the robbery, according to Ryan, was in the taxi. The taxi was robbed.”
Lochte later confirmed the robbery to NBC.
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