US Gold Medalist Ryan Lochte, Teammates Robbed at Gunpoint in Rio

When Lochte refused to give up his belongings, the men placed a pistol against the swimmer’s head.

Armed robbers posing as police officers held a gun to the forehead of US gold medallist swimmer Ryan Lochte and his swimming teammates. (Photo: AP)

Armed robbers posing as police officers held a gun to the forehead of US gold medallist swimmer Ryan Lochte and his swimming teammates in a taxi hold-up in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday, feeding concern over safety at the first Olympic Games in South America.

Lochte was returning to the Athletes’ Village from a party hosted by the French Games delegation, with Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger and Jimmy Feigen, when armed men carrying police badges pulled them over.

The men told the swimmers to drop to the ground and demanded their money and belongings, Lochte said. When he refused, one of the men cocked a pistol and placed it against the swimmer’s head, and he then handed over his wallet.

The incident stoked worries over the safety of competitors and visitors to Rio, which has a long history of violent crime, though Brazil’s Sports Minister Leonardo Picciani  insisted that athletes who remained on the Olympic site had experienced no problems.

The security operation for these Games has been totally effective. No athlete has had problems in their place of residence, in training or in the Athletes’ Village.

Leonardo Picciani

Police are investigating the incident and trying to locate the taxi driver involved, police sources said.

Lochte thanked his friends, family and fans for their support after the unsettling incident.

The men told the swimmers to drop to the ground and demanded their money and belongings said Ryan Lochte. (Photo: AP)

He told NBC:

The guy pulled out his gun, he cocked it, put it to my forehead and he said, ‘Get down,’ and I put my hands up, I was like ‘whatever’. He took our money, he took my wallet – he left my cell phone, he left my credentials.

All four athletes are cooperating with authorities, US Olympic Committee spokesperson Patrick Sandusky said.

In addition to the swimmers, Swedish tourists were briefly abducted when they visited a slum, Portugal’s visiting education minister was robbed at knife point, bullets flew into the equestrian centre and a Games bus was attacked with stones.

(This copy has been edited for length)