US swimmer Ryan Lochte has told of how men dressed as police held a gun to his head and robbed him in Rio on Saturday night.
Lochte and three other US swimmers were on their way to a party after being invited by Brazilian swimmer Thiago Pereira when the incident occurred.
“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 NBC News.
“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.
The International Olympic Committee initially denied early reports of the incident, but soon U.S. Olympic officials came out and confirmed the news that the gold medalist and three teammates were held up.
Lochte – who finished competing in the Games on Thursday – reportedly called his mother Ileana immediately afterwards and she told @FOXSportsNews it was “terrifying”.
Australian athletes have been issued with a warning not to go to tourist hotspots Copacabana and Ipanema beach and avoid night clubs in the wake of the incident.
