RIO DE JANEIRO (NBC News/AP) – The U.S. Olympic Committee says Ryan Lochte and three other American swimmers were robbed by armed men who stopped their taxi.
USOC spokesman Patrick Sandusky says Lochte and the others left the French Olympic team’s hospitality house early Sunday in a taxi headed for the athletes village, hours after the last night of Olympic swimming.
He says “the taxi was stopped by individuals posing as armed police officers who demanded the athletes’ money and other personal belongings.”
“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,” Lochte told TODAY’s Billy Bush. “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 cell phone, he left my credentials.”
Sandusky says the four swimmers are “safe and cooperating with authorities.” NBC News confirmed the others in the cab with Lochte included Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger and Jimmy Feigen.
USA Today and Fox Sports Australia first reported the news, citing Lochte’s mother, Ileana Lochte.
“I think they’re all shaken up. There were a few of them,” Ileana Lochte told USA Today. “No, they were just, they just took their wallets and basically that was it.”
Ileana Lochte and his agent did not immediately return phone calls and text messages from The Associated Press.
Lochte swam in two events at the Rio Games, winning gold in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay.