Olympian Ryan Lochte was robbed at gunpoint in Brazil, according to both a friend of the U.S. swimmer and Lochte’s mother.
Brazilian swimmer Thiago Pereira’s representative told The Washington Post’s Dom Phillips that Lochte was in a taxi leaving Club France on the Rodrigo de Freitas lagoon when the taxi was robbed. Video on O Globo shows Lochte and Pereira at what appears to be a rave.
Flávio Perez said the incident, in which Lochte was unharmed, occurred after a birthday celebration at a Brazilian club.
“Thiago Pereira and his wife Gabriela Pauletti were in Club France, the French house in Brazil, and they were celebrating the birthday of a friend in common,” said Perez, Pereira’s spokesman. “Lochte was also in the same place, commemorating the same birthday. Ryan and Thiago are friends. Thiago and his wife left earlier, they left alone, the two of them. Thiago and his wife went back to their hotel. Then Thiago, on finding out what happened, called Ryan. Ryan is well, and Thiago said that the robbery, according to Ryan, was in the taxi. The taxi was robbed.”
Reports of the incident conflicted Sunday morning. Mark Adams, the IOC’s director of communications, told reporters in Rio that the report is “not true,” but Lochte’s mother confirmed it for USA Today.
“I think they’re all shaken up. There were a few of them,” Ileana Lochte said. “No, they were just, they just took their wallets and basically that was it.”
David Marsh, Lochte’s personal coach and the head women’s coach for the U.S. swim team, also texted USA Today to deny the report.
Fox Sports News in Australia initially quoted Lochte’s mother describing the encounter as “terrifying” and she said she was en route to meet him. Lochte reportedly had been invited to a party by Pereira and was accompanied by three teammates. Fox’s Ben Way reported that Lochte was “robbed of his wallet.”
Earlier, another Rio Olympics spokesman said he had heard there “was an issue” involving Lochte but could not confirm the details.
Lochte, 32, is a six-time Olympic gold medalist. He and the U.S. team won gold in the 4×200-meter freestyle. Lochte has not been in an event since Thursday and swimming events ended Saturday night.
(c) 2016, The Washington Post · Cindy Boren, Dom Phillips
