US Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte banned for ten months

 

Ryan Lochte, 32, has been suspended by United States Swimming and the US Olympic Committee until June 30 next year, meaning he will miss the FINA World Championships in Budapest.
Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger and James Feigen have been handed four-month bans for their part in the scandal.

“The behaviour of these athletes was not acceptable,” said USOC chief executive Scott Blackmun. “It unfairly maligned our hosts and diverted attention away from the historic achievements of Team USA.
“Each of the athletes has accepted responsibility for his actions and accepted the appropriate sanctions. We look forward to focusing our energy on the Paralympic Games and the incredible men and women representing our country in Rio.”

Lochte took his Olympic medals haul to 12 after helping capture the men’s 4x200 metres freestyle gold, but his achievement was overshadowed by his actions outside the pool in Rio.

He said that he, Bentz, Conger and Feigen were robbed by thieves posing as armed police as their taxi took them back to the athletes’ village from a party in the early hours of August 14.

However, Rio police spotted inconsistencies in the quartet’s initial statements and following an investigation, civil police chief Fernando Veloso said the group had lied to cover up vandalising a petrol station.