Ryan Lochte and at least one of his U.S. swimming teammates were reportedly held at gunpoint in Brazil over the weekend.
According to Ben Way of FOX Sports, Lochte was on his way to a party near where the Olympics are being held in Rio when he was robbed. While IOC director of communications Mark Adams said Sunday morning that the story is “not true,” Lochte’s own mother confirmed it.
“I think they’re all shaken up. There were a few of them,” Ileana Lochte told Rachel Axon of USA Today Sports. “No, they were just, they just took their wallets and basically that was it.”
Lochte’s mother said Ryan called her immediately after the incident and said it was “terrifying.” The six-time gold medalist told Ileana that he was in a cab heading to a party he had been invited to by Brazilian swimmer Thiago Pereira when the cab stopped for gas. Lochte said he and the people he was with were confronted by people who were holding guns and knives. They took the swimmer’s wallet, but he was not harmed.
David Marsh, the U.S. women’s swimming coach and Lochte’s personal coach, told Axon he was trying to determine exactly what happened but that Lochte “was not held up.”
In addition to embarrassing issues like what happened with the one of the pools, we know there have been a lot of safety concerns in Rio throughout the Olympic Games. Whatever happened with Lochte, we’re glad to hear he was not harmed.
Photo: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports
