Four members of the U.S. swim team, including medalist Ryan Lochte, were robbed at gunpoint in Rio early Sunday, according to a USOC spokesman.
The four swimmers — Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger, Jimmy Feigen and Lochte — left a party at the France House near Rio’s lagoon early Sunday morning in a taxi, and were headed back to the Olympic Village in the western part of the city, according to the spokesman.
“Their taxi was stopped by individuals posing as armed police officers who demanded the athletes’ money and other personal belongings,” USOC spokesman Patrick Sandusky said. “All four athletes are safe and cooperating with authorities.”
The IOC had earlier on Sunday denied that Lochte had been a victim.
Lochte is one of the U.S. team’s most familiar faces, having surged to stardom and a high media profile in the 2012 London Olympics. The incident amplifies the debate over the safety of both athletes and spectators here in Rio, a crime-ridden city that is the first in South America to host the Olympics. There have already been several unsettling crime incidents involving athletes, coaches and spectators.
Source: Market Watch
