USA Swimming and the U.S. Olympic Committee announced September 8 that six-time Olympic gold medalist Ryan Lochte would be punished harshly for his behavior in the hours following the conclusion of the swimming competition at the Rio Olympics.
The two organizations suspended Lochte 10 months and banned him from seeking a spot on the 2017 World Championship team. Lochte also was forced to forfeit the monetary award he won for his gold medal on the 800 free relay and also cannot receive financial support from USA Swimming or the USOC during his suspension. He will not be allowed to attend the Olympic team’s White House recognition or USA Swimming’s Golden Goggles awards banquet.
Lochte and three other U.S. swimmers (Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger and Jimmy Feigen) were involved in a dust-up with local security at a gas station in Rio’s Barra neighborhood while on their way back to the Olympic village. The four allegedly urinated on the side of the building and Lochte tore a poster off the wall and then had a verbal altercation with off-duty police officers.
So what do you think—was the punishment too harsh? Vote on the sidebar for our Poll of the Week, and share your thoughts in the comments section below.
He lied and acted like a jerk while representing Team USA at the Olympics. He needs to learn the hard way that his behavior has consequences so his punishment is definitely not too harsh. If he wants to continue to represent the USA he won’t be acting that way again.
He’s human, you must be so perfect
Let me tell you about Dirk. Studies show a complete lack of any morals what so ever – lying 200 times a day (as per Ekman and many others), willing to torture anyone to death if simply asked to (as per Milgram and many others), stealing whenever possible (as per the MMPI and many many others). Was Ryan robbed at gun point by Rio police? Yes, that was all true – and yet Rio has yet to name the police officer nor return the ill gotten cash. Are the Olympic folk a bunch of thieves? Yes, that truth is widely accepted. Chicago spent $100 million on their hosting proposal but lost because they couldn’t include the millions in bribes required to win (why “poorer” countries have the advantage). Did Rio constantly lie about things like conditions for the athletes such as forcing rowers to compete in human waste and advise divers to bath after swimming indoors? Yes. Do raped women often exaggerate their stories due to the emotional impact of the attack? Yes (in fact, some 70% are fabricated). And, how do we treat them? Only with empathy. Hell yes Lochte’s treatment has been nothing but over the top harsh.
The three athletes went to compete in a city where they were greeted by the police holding a sign saying “Welcome to Hell” where Youtube videos show street theives have free reign. They stopped at a gas station and found the bathrooms were closed for the Olympics. I understand the hand written note stating this was the “sign” torn down. And in their anger, as most any of us would, they urinated on the back wall. Heck, the only reason I would ever visit that city would be to visit the same station and piss on them as well. After being robbed at gun point, the business fabricated an unsupportable story of bathroom vandalism (even lying to the media about the bathrooms being locked). Who did Americans believe and support? Not their own… not even a Olympic metal winner. That’s just another reflection on Dirk’s complete lack of character. Even govt kidnapping of witnesses and blackmailing them (a felony in any civilized country) to pay a ransom for their freedom and forcing them to recant like any common terrorist could not sway Dirk’s mindless groupthink desire for mob justice. What should we do to Dirk? Worse than Ryan got would be fair… but illegal (lacking any moral basis).
I’m not and I’m willing to admit it 😉 Lochte made a mistake and needs to suffer the consequences of his actions. He can go 10 months, it’s not even that harsh of a punishment. If you can’t handle that then that’s your problem.
He admitted his mistake soon afterward, and the question is whether the punishment was too harsh, you (Dirk) obviously don’t know what you are talking about. I feel everyone who punished Lochte took advantage of his mistake made after a drunken night out, did PR for themselves, took his money away and still have no problem enjoying the 12 medals he won for the USA team.
Just because lochte is an elite athlete does not give him a pass to do whatever he wants without consequence.
Had it not occurred during the two weeks the entire world was watching him, we never would have heard about any of this. Discipline would’ve been handled internally by USA Swimming and that would have been the end of it. So when all considered, yes, it was very harsh and he will most likely suffer the consequences for the rest of his life. He is still the greatest short course swimmer of all time. The greatest Gator swimmer of all time. The second most decorated Olympian only to MP. He’ll never be erased from the record books and I sincerely hope he has it within him to make it to Tokyo and regain all that he so foolishly threw away that night.
you ROCK Kyle Starling!!! ??☺️
He was in a foreign country and was shook down by people who spoke a different language. Anyone who was drunk would be a little pumped up and probably feel like they were robbed. USA swimming should been appalled that the Brazilian government was takin advantage of Americans. Instead they bent over for them. Even after it was over they continued to shake-down the other swimmer involved before even allowing him to leave the country.
?
Ban him from the sport! Should have been jailed in Rio.
That’s the legal side of what happened. And I think his lawyers should fight Brazil officials with everything they’ve got.
However, his drunken behavior and lying are what I think upset USA Swimming. They had to make a big enough example that others think twice about getting blotto in 2020.
LOL!!!! What a bunch of BS!!! LOL
Very well said. What ever happened to the US government supporting its citizens when they are in trouble overseas … That was one of the things the rest of the world looked up to them about…. I’m guessing having that almighty American passport isn’t such a great thing anymore .
Heather York DiFulvio I agree, in regards to the swimming punishment, I am sure it was fair. I am sure he also signed something stating there would be repercussions for such behavior
Cidinha Netto How is that BS? Here in America, security guards cannot point guns at people and demand payment before allowing them to leave. AKA armed robbery
Can you lie to the police in America? That’s what he is being prosecuted for! And, by the way, he was not drunk anymore when he lied to the police.
@Carr Lee. Yes, if the police come to your house and ask you to recount an experience you had, it is not illegal to tell your side of the story even if it doesn’t match up with someone else’s description. If you leave out something that someone else claims is relevent, that’s not lying. We have courts to decide between different versions of events. This case never went to court. It’s not the police departments job to render judgment and mete out punishment. Asking someone to “tell me what happened” and later prosecuting them because they didn’t tell you something you think they should have is not the way justice works. That’s the way police states terrorize citizens.
The narrative that “Lochte lied” is an exaggeration created by the rio police and spread by the media because it made for sensational press. He did not lie in any meaningful sense, and even if you think he did, it’s for the courts to decide what is relevent and not about what happened, not the police.
Moreover, if the police question you and your answers can later be used against you, they are obliged to inform you of this and your rights not to answer and to have an attorney present. I seriously doubt the rio police did anything of the sort. This was a setup job by the rio police. If that happened in the us the police department would be subject to lawsuits and they would lose them.
You also do not seem to appreciate the fact that the rio police claimed in an international press conference that they had video evidence that the swimmers vandalized the bathroom. That also made for sensational press and they knew it. The only problem is it was a bald-faced lie which contributed a great deal to Lochte losing millions of dollars in endorsements. Once again, if that happened in the US the police would be subject to multi-million dollar lawsuits and they would lose.
I’ve told my kids before, “If you had told me the truth, you might have had a small punishment, but trying to cover it up with lying is what this bigger and worse punishment is about.”
Thank you! This is the exact same thing I tell my son!
Excellent parenting skills.
So you find it reasonable to be threatened at gun point! You must be from good old USA. The crime here is the threatening behaviour of these of duty police/ guards acting out if proportion to anything that happened…..so you will punish your kids if they say they were threatened at gun point…and it is subsequently found that they were.
I agree. I have heard that you do not walk on the beach unless lots of people around because to dangerous. These payoffs in any of the games are disgusting. Dirk & his kind are criminals. It is a total disgrace but yet you support them. It’s so easy to stop. DO NOT GO TO THE EVENTS! DO NOT SPEND MONEY AT THE PLACES THEY ATE HELD. The GREED will hurt them & the town people will be outraged by the loss of revenue. But the SADDEST PART is that people like these criminals see nothing wrong because they practice the same criminal acts but the excuse is other businesses do it. SO ASHAMED & EMBARRASSING. THEY HIDE BEHIND THEIR SELF-RIGHTIONNESS!!
yes too harsh! too self righteuous.. as if the USA swimming committee members had never lied before.
A message needs to be communicated on how to represent the USA & respect the host country in this case beautiful Brazil! However, the gold medal he earned should not be forfeited he won that with his very fast swimming time. Everything else I agree with!
He keeps the medal, but not the monetary award that goes along with it. Combined with the loss of most of his endorsements. But I doubt Dancing with the Stars would let him starve.
I don’t think they should have to cover “don’t get so drunk you might make horrendously bad decisions” with adults. And, as far as I know, he is not losing his gold. He had to forfeit a bonus but not the medal.
The article states he must forfeit gold medal he earned.
O
JW,
PLEASE reread the article carefully.
Their are athletes that have done way worse than Ryan, so yes I think he is being treated unfairly???
Talk about a double standard…Russian druggies can compete in the Olympics, but Lochte is shut out. Go figure…
Yeah way too harsh for someone that was hazed by the rio police. So he embellished. So what. Drunk people do that. He was still robbed at gunpoint and then the government had to get their moolah too
It’s called BLATANT LYING! (unless you’re Hillary Clinton. .then it’s embellishment or misspoken).
Robbed at gun point! Realyyyyyy … I mean you still beleive ROBBED AT GUN POINT! (But kept his wallet, credit cards, cell phone, olimpic credentials, etc …besides trying to flee the scene of his vandalism without paying for damages when he got caught and trying to intimidate security guards half his size. .and coming back to the olimpic village like a big joke had happened etc)…. ROBBED AT GUN POINT for 30 dollars ? Realyyyyyyy
Ohhh ..I forgot he’s just a drunk kid (32 years old) having a good old time in a third world nation. I wish he had done the same thing iin a gas station in texas or new orleans and see what would have happened .
I wonder if you would have made the same comments had this happened in london 4 years ago
YES!! Way too high. Stupid. Ridiculous.
Too harsh.
Yes
No
Yes
Yes, I’m sure anyone who gets drunk forgets some things that happen and when a gun or a weapon is involved in sure you over exaggerate what happen. It doesn’t help that his mom is the one that spilled the beans and made it worse for him. Sorry mom, you really did blow it out of proportion… I mean he’s 30 something years old, not 21… He can notify the police or media on his own. But all in all way too harsh!!
Well said, Stella. I, too, read that “Mom” spilled the beans. Sad,
Yes it is! Although He is a celebrity and a role model – he didn’t nominate himself WE put him there; let’s not forget he is also human too and susceptible to human mistakes; he is also young! Give him a break overall he is still a good kid in spite of this one stupid act! The media made this incident sensationalized!!!
I’m all for Lochte & feel things were blown out of proportion a bit but he’s no kid! He’s a 32 year old man…. He should have known better!
Griselda Wells don’t punish him like a murderer or rapist. He suffered enough “humiliation known all over the world”, isn’t that enough? What do you want from him?
Chal De Leon Burns lol! I’m hardly punishing him like a murderer or rapist! I’m actually a Lochte supporter! He got a few months suspension from swimming, he’s not in jail! There are consequences for his actions. He’s a grown man who should have known better, after all he was representing his country at the Olympics. Even high school athletes who go out of town to represent their schools at athletic events are held to a higher standard in these situations.
Lol =)
Nope
Yes..I do think that the punishment was a little harsh. He embellished the story. I could see what Ryan Lochte did happen to anyone. There was a language barrier there. And in his drunken moment, this is what he perceived happened…
If our kids embellished the truth or their perception of what really happened, do we give them a 10 month grounding plus a public shaming. No! Absolutely not. Ryan Lochte knows he made a mistake. And, this mistake has been publicized.
That’s enough punishment right there…
Too harsh!
Far 2 harsh
Absolutely!
Yes. Too harsh
Way!
no
When you compare it to the other alleged criminal charges against other athletes in Rio, I would have to say yes. Being drunk and disorderly in another country when you are there representing your country was bad judgement on the part of Ryan and the other swimmers. However, Rio wanted more out of the Olympics than the few medals they won, and they got a lot of money from one of our swimmers. [Rio wanted 150K and settled for far less.] For Ryan, who has trained for many years and swam in this and past Olympics winning numerous medals, I think 10 months is too long. If he should choose to retire from Competition, America will lose a valuable athlete.
No..not too harsh..it is an off year, the punishment will do nothing..
Yes it was a shake down..BUT..he was at the OLYMPICS ..he was not on his own..he was not drunk at a bar in North Carolina..he was representing the United States as long as he was in that country. .the games were not completed. .all 4 showed a Hugh lack of judgement..Ryan just shot off his mouth, a bigger lack of judgement. .do what you want as a private citizen. .not at the Biggest World Stage..now, did the media get out of hand. .yes..Swimming World is still talking about it..give it a rest, and Let Ryan Dance 🙂
Yes
Yes
Way too harsh!
Way too harsh!
Yip
I believe it was too harsh. Especially when you compare it to the punishment Phelps received for his DUI’s. They probably based it more on the media attention/backlash than the actual severity of the offense. Clearly, something bad happened to Lochte and company that night. After seeing the video and hearing the testimonies of the swimmers and eyewitnesses, it seems like they were indeed robbed. At the very least extorted and the security guards brandished their weapons and abused their power.
Yeah, he shouldn’t have knocked down the sign, peed in the bushes behind the store, or exaggerated details such as gun proximity. His biggest mistake was probably telling anyone about what happened. Of course, he only originally told his mom; and he couldn’t have known she would speak to the media about it. Not the best idea speaking to Billy Bush and exaggerating things, though. (I’m not sure how much of it was deliberate exaggeration, or poorly recalled details though an alcohol infused memory and hangover.)
Yes too harsh!
No. USA Swimming should have banned him for life. He embarrassed the existence of the Olympics, shamed our country, shamed the sport of swimming, and put two younger athletes in an extremely difficult situation.
He then lied about all of this. Repeatedly.
One of the best answers I have found here about this issue. Thank you.
Bro, you’re crazy. Read the USA Today reports, our athletes were extorted and robbed at gun point.
Dude. It’s obvious you have not read the statements the other swimmers made. If you think this is so horrible surely your more than upset about Benghazi … Geeze.
Exactly, Jimmy. A team of USA Today’s investigative journalists were onsite within two hours. Was there a gun cocked to Ryan’s forehead? No. However, weapons were drawn & our athletes became the victims of extortion! Read the article.
yes!!!! trying to be too PC and ended up laughable….. but not to Ryan Lochte. i am disgusted with USA swimming and Speedo! you couldnt defend the guy who gives his medals away to young fans????
Noone’s business but Lochte’s to broadcast any sanctions. USS was wrong to publicize the discipline they chose.
Clearly Lochte made a stupid mistake…leave him alone; He’s dealing with his own consequences which aren’t pretty…he’s been left to endure financial, professional & personal pain & loss. Isn’t this enough?
no do the crime do the time – what example was he setting for the rest of the world – tosser I am ashamed to be attached-because I am a great swimmer also
Yes.
Yes
??????
He is not a “kid”. He just acts like one.
Absolutely, yes. I never took much interest in Ryan and his swim. USASwim is being too harsh. I hope and pray he works hard and makes it to Tokyo.
Talk about over kill…. The guy is a swimming legend… Is this some pencil pusher trying to make a name for himself????
Yes I think it was to harsh
Heck no!!!
I’m not sure if it was too harsh but I think it being so public has been enough. To me he needs to grow up. He is not 21 any more,and to be out with such young guys ,I feel sorry for them.
Um yes
nope
You get to choose your actions, you don’t get to choose the consequence.
or
If you don’t want to serve the time, don’t do the crime.