Ryan Lochte jumped into the swimming scene in 2004 when he qualified for his first Olympic games. Since then, Lochte has sure made a name for himself. He is the second most decorated Olympic swimmer, behind Phelps, as a 12-time Olympic medalist. And throughout the years, he's proven himself to be quite the character. Lochte never quite fit the norm as an elite swimmer/Olympian, but I'd always been a fan. I thought he was funny (and, of course, not hard on the eyes), until now. I've stuck with Lochte through it all: that time he wore grills, "What Would Ryan Lochte Do," and even the "light blue" hair. But this time around, I can't remain loyal.
As a Lochte fan, here's why I'm disappointed. Lochte originally claimed that after a night out, he and three other teammates were robbed and held at gunpoint. My initial response was, "thank God they are all okay." Then, of course, Lochte made a statement that went something like this:
I probably wouldn't have responded with "whatever" to being held at gunpoint (supposedly), but as a Lochte fan, I quite honestly thought it was hilarious. Only Lochte would say whatever to being held at gunpoint. But as everyone knows now, that's not where the story ended.
So he lied. He wasn't robbed. He got drunk and vandalized a bathroom, and was then asked to pay for it by security guards with guns. I understand that everyone has a bad night at least once. Sometimes people get too drunk, do something stupid and after taking responsibility for their actions, move on. But what disappoints me about Lochte is that it took him too long to own up to his actions. As a fellow swimmer, who looks up to every member of the US Olympic team, Lochte let me down.
Lochte not only made himself and team USA look bad, he made swimmers look bad. The reports that are continuing to come out on the scandal all make sure to say "swimmer Ryan Lochte," or "Lochte and other swimmers." We're all being grouped with him and it's not fair. It's not fair because there are so many respectable and inspiring members of the US Olympic swim team, and not only did Lochte steal the spotlight from Olympians competing in other sports and for other teams during the remainder of the Olympics, but he created bad press surrounding swimming after the swimmers had just had an incredible showing in Rio.
So can I still say I'm a Lochte fan? I don't know. People make mistakes, I personally understand that. But if Lochte wants to make it up to his fans, teammates and the country, he has a lot to do to prove he's worthy of being the most decorated Olympic swimmer not named Phelps.
