Cecil Robinson
Staff Writer
cecil.robinson@hawks.shorter.edu
After winning a gold medal in the mens 4×200 meter freestyle relay Olympic Games in Rio, American swimmer Ryan Lochte and his fellow teammates vandalized a gas station and lied to the police, stating that they were robbed.
According to his first claim of being robbed, Lochte and fellow teammates Jimmy Feigen, Jack Conger and Gunnar Bentz were all held at gunpoint as they left a France hospitality house in the Olympic Village. According to NBC.com, Lochte said that one robber, allegedly dressed in fake police gear, put a gun to his forehead.
Due to Lochte’s negligence not only has his fabrications caused him a lot of turmoil within the Olympic Committee, but he lost a few of his sponsorships as well. As of recently, he lost his deals with Speedo, Airweave, Gentle Hair Removal and Ralph Lauren.
According to a report by NY Daily News.com, Speedo will be donating a $50,000 portion of Lochte’s fee to “Save The Children”, a global charity for children in Brazil.
Some believed that Speedo did the right thing in terms of protecting their brand.“I believe this was a great move for Speedo because they don’t want people to view their brand as in support of his actions,” said senior biology and vocal performance major Jacob Case.
Once news spread about the attack, media outlets were instantly talking of the crime, placing even more controversy around the Games location. Even months before the attack, disputes had been shared amongst the Olympic Committee that Rio was an unsafe area to send athletes.
Shorter students believed Rio should have had better precautionary measures for athletes.“Anytime you send Americans off to a foreign country not up to par with America’s standards, it could potentially raise the risk of safety hazards especially in a country that has seen an economic downturn,” said sophomore pre-dentistry major Cole McClain.
As it turned out, Lochte and his teammates had become drunk one night, vandalizing private property. Afterwards, the four swimmers were detained by armed security. In an attempt to avoid calling police, they had to pay for the damages upfront.
Not only did Lochte’s actions actions affect his image, but also that of his teammates.“I feel that Ryan Lochte took advantage of the stigma put on Rio as a whole of being an unsafe environment for athletes. He not only disgraced the people of Brazil, but also those of America,” said McClain.
That following Friday on Aug. 12, Lochte issued an apology for his actions after testimony from other Americans began to challenge his initial account of events.
According to Lochte, he “overexaggerated” his account of what happened and feels that it was a result of his immature behavior. According to U.S. Olympic Committee CEO Scott Blackmun, no further action has been disclosed on Lochte and his fellow three teammates yet.
“I feel that by fabricating the story Ryan Lochte took away how well Americans did in the Olympics,” said Director of Residence Life Anthony Chatmon. “I think his situation takes away more of his character and the other guys he was with.”
