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US Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte has been indicted by authorities in Rio de Janeiro, according to the Federal Police of Brazil.
The 32-year-old gold medal winner, competing at his fourth games, claimed he and three US team-mates were forced from their taxi at gunpoint and robbed.
But according to ABC, a Brazilian police source claimed that CCTV footage was found showing Lochte – who won gold in the 4x200m relay in Rio – “breaking down the door to the bathroom at the gas station and fighting with a security guard” on the night in question.
The authorities claimed the reports were fabricated, and now police in Brazil have indicted Ryan Lochte, and fellow US swimmer James Feigen on charges of falsely reporting of a crime.
Lochte has left Brazil, but two of his other team mates have been blocked from leaving by police.
BREAKING: The other 2 USA swimmers who say they were w Lochte during robbery have just been pulled off their plane at Rio airport.
— Peter Alexander (@PeterAlexander) August 18, 2016
It is not believed that the athletes in question – Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger – have been indicted or charged by police.
But the authorities claim Bentz and Conger have admitted the robbery tale was ‘fabricated’, with the latest Associated Press reports quoting a police official who ‘spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak about an ongoing probe’.
In their front page story about the incident, the New York Post are in no doubts about Lochte’s antics:
TOMORROW'S COVER: Ryan Lochte is everything the world hates about Americans https://t.co/A5wvURF54Y pic.twitter.com/WqNpI8wKOd
— New York Post (@nypost) August 18, 2016
Meanwhile, the owner of the Rio petrol station told Globo his version of events:
“They stopped at the side of the station and urinated all over the side. I still have the image of one of their behinds, dropping their pants. They were told to go to the bathroom, but they urinated on the wall on the side. They didn’t respect the sign, they didn’t go to the bathroom.”
If true, ugly indeed.
*Updated from piece first published on August 18.
