Ryan Lochte, one of the US Olympic team’s star swimmers, and three of his teammates have been robbed at gunpoint in Rio de Janeiro, an incident which will raise further concerns about security for athletes and dignitaries at the games.
The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) said in a statement on Sunday that four swimmers — Lochte, Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger and Jimmy Feigen — were attacked after leaving together in a taxi following a party at France House near the Rodrigo de Freitas lagoon.
The men were headed back to the Olympic Village in the western part of the city in the early hours of Sunday morning when “their taxi was stopped by individuals posing as armed police officers who demanded the athletes’ money and other personal belongings,” said Patrick Sandusky, USOC spokesperson. “All four athletes are safe and co-operating with authorities.”