The fallout from Ryan Lochte’s Rio Olympics shenanigans continues, and while Lochte seemingly was able to avoid too much trouble down in Brazil, his swimming career will definitely be taking a hit. Owing to his role in a drunken evening at a Rio gas station, Lochte has reportedly been suspended by the United States Olympic Committee for 10 months.
As you presumably know, since it was unfortunately one of the bigger stories from the Rio Olympics, Lochte and a few of his swimming brethren got into a drunken altercation at a gas station after not being allowed to use their bathroom. They ended up having to pay for the damage they caused, but later Lochte said that he and his teammates had been robbed at gunpoint that evening. The lie quickly unraveled, and now Lochte is paying for that.
The punishment comes not just from the USOC, but also the IOC and USA Swimming. There will also reportedly be other sanctions. This is a stiff penalty, if not a career-altering one, for the 32-year-old Lochte. It also seems extra tough considering that Michael Phelps was only suspended six months by the USOC for two DUI arrests. However, Lochte’s transgression was on such a massive and global scale that it was probably hard not to let that play into their decision making. The other three swimmers were also suspended, one reportedly for four months, but Lochte was clearly the big fish here.
(Via TMZ Sports)
