After his less than stellar performances, USA swimmer Ryan Lochte found a way to upstage the marquee athletes at these Games, namely Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt.
Two of the U.S. Olympics swimmers who were with Ryan Lochte when he was apparently ‘robbed’ in Rio have been hauled off a plane and prevented from leaving Brazil by the country’s authorities.
The dramatic turn of events came amid mounting questions over whether the gold medal-winning swimmer really was held at gunpoint as he claims – and as Lochte changed for a second time his version of the events of Sunday night…
Meanwhile, Lochte, 32, has been spotted in in Charlotte, North Carolina with his Playmate girlfriend Kayla Reid.
(London Daily Mail, August 18, 2016)
I suspect this international incident stems from nothing more than a late-night drunken prank – aimed at making fun of Rio’s well-earned reputation as a Dickensian city where Faginesque robberies abound.
To say there are glaring inconsistencies and gaping holes in their tall tale is an understatement. One wonders, for example, what has become of the Taxi driver – who had to have been either a victim as well or a co-conspirator. And how considerate of the “robbers” to demand only cash, letting them keep wallets, watches, smartphones, and jewelry….
Incidentally, this screen capture shows my immediate reaction (at 8:04 p.m. last night) as this tale – told by idiots, full of lies and deception, signifying nothing – was being sold:
The only question is how long it will be before one of these knuckleheads cracks and admits the whole thing was a perverse and imperious joke (or “cover-up”). How convenient for Lochte, though, that he’s the only one who got out of dodge before the shit hit the fan.
On the other hand, given all of the reputational damage it has suffered during these Games, one can hardly blame Brazil for making an international incident out of this misdemeanor. After all, this not only deflects from Zika, polluted waters, empty venues, etc., but might even engender a little international sympathy … if not good will.