U. S. swimmers' fabulous performances tarnished by phony story

… this was not like lying to Barney Fife in Mayberry 

The performances of Michael Phelps and the U.S. swimmers at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janiero was nothing short of sensational.

Americans are so happy with the performance of Phelps, who will retire as the greatest swimmer in Olympic history. He captured five gold medals and one silver and was named as the captain of the American team and the flag bearer of the U.S. in the Olympics Parade of Nations that will conclude the games.

According to his Wikipedia page, Phelps now has the world records in the 100-meter butterfly, 200-meter butterfly, and 400-meter individual medley.

His family and his country have been exhilarated by the performances of the 31-year-old in the 2016 events.

Swimmer Ryan Lochte

Right behind Phelps is Ryan Lochte, who finished the 2016 Olympics as the second greatest swimmer in U.S. history.

Unfortunately for Lochte, who is 32-years-old and apparently in his last Olympics, he may be remembered instead for creating a false narrative that would eventually cause international embarrassment to him, his three fellow swimmers, his family, and to the United States.

It may also cost him a great deal personally since he has made millions of dollars on endorsements over the years.

The false fable 

According to the National Post, a Canadian paper, Lochte claimed that a robber had held a gun to his head last Sunday morning and had demanded $400 after he and three fellow swimmers had left a dance party at the Club France in the official Olympic hospitality venue.

Lochte had conjured up a tall tale that he told to people at the Olympic Village, so the Rio police, who would not have been involved without that story, decided to investigate. 

Lochte's positive accomplishments

Lochte is part of a 4x200 relay team that has set a world record. He holds the world record in the 100-meter individual medley, 200-meter individual medley, and the 400-meter individual medley.

Lochte has a reputation

National Post columnist Scott Stinson made a comment about Lochte that I thought was unfair at first, but after seeing the damage that his contrived story has caused, could perhaps be justified.

"Lochte, 32, a 12-time Olympic medalist, has long had a reputation for having the smarts of a brick," Stinson wrote after calling his story a "bizarre tale." The paper had a sub-title that said this, "But we’re not entirely surprised he is the centerpiece."

"Smarts of a brick" is not a compliment.

Stinson wrote that before the truth came out mid-week.

Lochte may lose endorsements

According to Time Magazine / Money, "Ryan Lochte Will Likely Lose Millions in Endorsements Amid Rio Scandal." Time notes that he has endorsements with Ralph Lauren and Speedo, who might not look favorably on this incident.

Lochte did one smart thing: He left Rio on Tuesday, while two of the others -- Gunnar Benta and Jack Conger -- lost their passports after being pulled off a plane later in the week, one that was to take them to Houston.

The two were allowed to leave after they gave their truthful statements to Rio authorities.

American outrage at Rio authorities

People in the U.S. were very upset that the Rio police would not allow Benta and Conger to leave the country.

"They have their nerve," many were writing on Twitter. Then they learned the truth.

The fabled tale

The narrator of this false tale -- the one told to others in the Olympic Village -- was Lochte. He is also the one who lied after the original story became international news.

In fact, making things worse was that Lochte told Matt Lauer, "We wouldn't make things up." 

The lying is the part that is unforgivable.

Partying after a performance is understandable, but lying about something like this and creating an international furor is not.

The actual story 

To further understand this, Lochte was the one who vandalized the locked rest room at the gas station. Here is a portion of what one of the four, Gunnar Benta, who attends and competes at the University of Georgia, wrote about the incident on the University's website.

"After attending an event with several swimmers from different nations, I left in a taxicab along with U.S. swimmers -- Jack Conger, Jimmy Feigen and Ryan Lochte -- around 6 a.m.

" … On the way back to the Olympic Village, we pulled into a convenience store to use the restroom. There was no restroom inside, so we foolishly relieved ourselves on the backside of the building behind some bushes. There was a locked door out back and I did not witness anyone breaking it open. I am unsure why, but while we were in that area, Ryan pulled to the ground a framed metal advertisement that was loosely anchored to the brick wall."

Lochte did more vandalism than that, but that is what Benta saw. It included damaging a soap dish and some other incidental damage.

When the security personnel realized what damage had been done, they went after Lochte, who started to argue with them though neither understood the other's language.

Then one of the security personnel pulled a gun, so the story about the gun was not fiction. The swimmers also raised their hands.

The guards, who showed them a badge, wanted the four to pay for the damage. "As Jimmy and Jack were walking away from the vehicle, the first security guard held up a badge to me and drew his handgun," Gunner wrote. "I yelled to them to come back toward us and they complied. Then the second guard drew his weapon and both guards pointed their guns at us and yelled at us to sit on a nearby sidewalk."

So, guns were pulled on the four and they put up their hands, but a major problem here is that none of the four Americans could speak Portuguese, the language used in Brazil.

Lochte's action

Here, Benta throws Lochte to the wolves by explaining exactly happened. "Ryan stood up and began to yell at the guards. After Jack and I both tugged at him in an attempt to get him to sit back down, Ryan and the security guards had a heated verbal exchange, but no physical contact was made," he wrote.

Eventually, after a man who offered his help because he could speak English, the four gave the guards "… about $50 in total," Benta wrote. "They lowered the guns and I used hand gestures to ask if it was okay to leave and they said yes."

So, that is the true story. If you have Internet, you can see the video on You Tube, though it is not all clear.

The anger of Brazilians

However, this sensationalized headline that was seen by people around the globe is what upset people in Brazil. "Ryan Lochte: Rio police impersonator cocked gun and held it to my forehead during robbery." 

The problem with this story is that it fit within a narrative that many were having about how dangerous Rio de Janeiro -- and Brazil as a whole -- is.

While the whole scenario probably cost thousands of dollars, it is the Brazilians' good name that the natives want returned.

The disgust that they have toward America because of this incident is significant. 

The New York Times had a headline like this: "Ryan Lochte and three teammates robbed at gunpoint."

There's the rub.

International Olympic Committee [IOC]

Both the IOC and the U.S. committee have indicated that some disciplinary action will take place as a result of this. I doubt that it will include giving the medals back, but it may.

The athletes could also face charges in Brazil, but I doubt that will happen since they have allowed them to leave the country.

Story about "cocked gun"

http://gothamist.com/2016/08/15/ryan_lochte_fake_rio_cop_cocked_gun.php

Lochte statement on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/p/BJSwyLJBoSH/

National Post: Scott Stinson

http://news.nationalpost.com/sports/rio-2016/scott-stinson-the-ryan-lochte-rio-robbery-fiasco-is-a-bizarre-tale-but-were-not-entirely-surprised-by-lochtes-involvement 

National Post: Story unravels

http://news.nationalpost.com/sports/rio-2016/ryan-was-very-evasive-how-lochtes-robbery-story-started-to-unravel

Gunnar Bentz: Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunnar_Bentz

Michael Phelps: Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Phelps

Matt Lauer interview of Lochte

http://www.today.com/news/matt-lauer-s-exclusive-interview-ryan-lochte-air-monday-today-t102063

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/2016-rio-summer-olympics/two-u-s-swimmers-pulled-plane-rio-lawyer-n633241