Four Olympic swimmers for Team USA were robbed at gunpoint early Sunday morning in Rio.
Ryan Lochte, Jimmy Feign, Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger, were departing from a party at Club France in taxis when they were robbed. According to the Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Rio 2016, hospitality houses are set up by visiting countries for their athletes, families, and fans.
In an interview with NBC, Lochte stated that he and other swimmers were on their way to the Olympic Village in taxis before they were pulled over and robbed.
Lochte recalled the encounter in the interview with NBC,
“We got pulled over, in the taxi, and these guys came out with a badge, a police badge, no lights, no nothing just a police badge and they pulled us over. They pulled out their guns, they told the other swimmers to get down on the ground — they got down on the ground. I refused, I was like we didn't do anything wrong, so — I'm not getting down on the ground.
And then the guy pulled out his gun, he cocked it, put it to my forehead and he said, 'Get down,' and I put my hands up, I was like 'whatever.' He took our money, he took my wallet — he left my cellphone, he left my credentials.”
Lochte also published a tweet about the encounter.
A spokesman for the International Olympic Committee stated that all swimmers involved in the incident are cooperating with the local police.
Bentz also tweeted about the encounter.
Lochte is a 12-time gold medalist. Feigen is a member of the gold-winning 4x100 freestyle relay team. Bentz and Conger are both members of the gold-winning 4x200 freestyle relay team.
