CLOSE The suspension stems from robbery claims that Ryan Lochte and three other U.S. swimmers made while in Rio for the summer Olympics. USA TODAY Sports

Ryan Lochte was suspended on Thursday for 10 months by the USOC and USA Swimming. (Photo: Rob Schumacher, USA TODAY Sports)

Twelve-time Olympic medalist Ryan Lochte has agreed to serve a 10-month suspension due to his involvement in a gas station incident during the Rio Olympics.

He will also be ineligible for the 2017 world championship meet, and he will have to forfeit all United State Olympic Committee and USA Swimming medal funding for the gold medal he earned as part of the men's 4x200 freestyle relay in Rio.

Other sanctions against Lochte include no monthly stipend and no direct support or access to USOC training facilities during the suspension. Lochte will also have to perform 20 hours of community service.

"We accept the decision as believe it is in everyone’s best interest to move forward," Jeff Ostrow, Lochte's attorney, said in a statement sent exclusively to USA TODAY Sports. "Ryan is grateful to be a member of the U.S. Olympic Team and USA Swimming. He recognizes his lapse in judgment, and is looking forward to continuing his training, volunteer work with kids, and resuming his swimming career next year with an eye toward representing his country at the 2020 Olympic games in Japan.

"That said, in my opinion, while the collective sanctions appear to be harsh when considering what actually happened that day - Ryan did not commit a crime, he did not put the public safety at risk, and he did not cheat in his sport - we will leave it to others to evaluate the appropriateness of the penalties."

The other three swimmers with Lochte that night at the gas station — Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger and Jimmy Feigen — will be suspended from domestic and international USA Swimming national team competitions for four months. They too will lose their monthly stipends and access to USOC training facilities during that span.

All four swimmers will not be allowed to visit the White House alongside fellow U.S. Olympians, and all four are not permitted to attend USA Swimming's annual Golden Goggles event this year.

These disciplinary measures were announced by both the USOC and USA Swimming Thursday morning.

“As we have said previously, the behavior of these athletes was not acceptable. It unfairly maligned our hosts and diverted attention away from the historic achievements of Team USA,” USOC CEO Scott Blackmun said in a statement. “Each of the athletes has accepted responsibility for his actions and accepted the appropriate sanctions. We look forward to focusing our energy on the Paralympic Games and the incredible men and women representing our country in Rio.”

“During an otherwise extraordinary Olympic Games, a small group of athletes had lapses in judgement and conduct that are unacceptable and not consistent with our expectations."

"When Code of Conduct infractions occur, it’s our responsibility to take action that reflects the seriousness of what happened,” USA Swimming Executive Director Chuck Wielgus said. “Unfortunately, this storyline took attention away from the athletes who deserved it the most. These athletes took accountability for their mistakes and are committed to represent themselves and our country with the great character and distinction we expect.”

The incident at the gas station involved all four swimmers and occurred after a night of partying following the end of the Olympic swimming competition. Lochte's mother, Ileana, told USA TODAY Sports the next morning that her son had been robbed, which kickstarted a week-long news cycle that saw Lochte revise his account of what happened and acknowledge he exaggerated some details. But he stood by his story that he and his teammates were detained at gunpoint and forced to pay money so they could leave.

The details Lochte initially embellished — about a gun being cocked against his forehead, for example — drew the attention of Rio authorities, who met with the swimmers to take statements and begin their own investigation, which quickly morphed into Rio authorities alleging at a news conference that the swimmers had filed a false police report. Authorities later said that only Lochte and Jimmy Feigen had made false statements to police, and the other two, Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger, were regarded as witnesses.

At the news conference, however, Rio authorities also offered an embellished account. Rio police chief Fernando Veloso characterized the athletes’ actions at the gas station as vandalism, alleging they had broken into the restroom and vandalized a soap dispenser and mirror. Those allegations heightened media portrayals of the four swimmers as obnoxious Americans behaving recklessly late at night in a foreign country and Lochte was pilloried in media reports around the world.

Veloso also defended the security guards drawing their weapons as necessary to protect themselves, though a witness told USA TODAY Sports the swimmers were “terrified” and the guards had pulled their guns when the swimmers tried to leave the scene without paying for alleged damage to an advertising sign.

A USA TODAY Sports investigation of witness accounts, official reports and surveillance videos supported Bentz’s claim that he did not see anyone vandalize the gas station restroom. It also concluded the framework of what Lochte said was true – the swimmers were in a taxi that was prevented from leaving the gas station by an armed man who flashed a badge and ordered them out of the car, and that they were held at gunpoint and forced to pay money, about $50, for damaging the sign. Video showed a security guard did aim his gun at Lochte’s head, though it was not “to the forehead,” as Lochte initially said. There was no evidence the swimmers entered the restroom, which was locked.

The swimmers said they had stopped at the gas station because they needed to urinate, and said they did so in bushes behind the building after finding the restroom locked.

Legal experts and a Brazilian judge also told USA TODAY Sports that the actions of the guards that night may have been illegal, as Brazilian law prohibits anyone from determining on their own the damages to property and using a weapon to collect payment.

All four swimmers eventually were able to leave Brazil by the end of the Olympics, though Bentz and Conger were first pulled off their planes for further questioning before they left and Feigen had to pay a $11,000 settlement to avoid charges before he could return home. Rio authorities say they will pursue a case against Lochte for filing a false police report, but Lochte’s legal team disputes that the swimmer made false statements to police.

PHOTOS: Swimming at the 2016 Rio Olympics</s>Swimmer Lochte slapped with 10-month suspension after Rio: official

Swimmer Ryan Lochte has been hit with a 10-month suspension following his bogus gunpoint robbery story during a drunken night out at the Rio Olympics, US sports authorities said Thursday.

The US Olympic Committee and USA Swimming, in a joint release, announced the punishment against the swim superstar, as well as four-month suspensions against three other Americans.

"The behavior of these athletes was not acceptable. It unfairly maligned our hosts and diverted attention away from the historic achievements of Team USA," said Scott Blackmun, CEO of the USOC.

The three Americans punished in addition to Lochte were Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger and James Feigen.

Brazilian authorities last month charged Lochte with making a false report about being robbed at gunpoint during the Olympics. Lochte had already left the country by the time the charges were filed.

The Olympic gold medal winner had told media in Rio that he and his three teammates were mugged after an all-night party by robbers pretending to be police.

The tale humiliated first the Brazilian hosts of the Games and later Lochte's own Team USA, after police determined that he had largely concocted his story.

Top sponsors, including Speedo and Ralph Lauren, abandoned the Olympic gold medal winner in the uproar over the made-up story, potentially costing him millions in endorsements.

His suspension also means that Lochte will be ineligible for next year's World Championships in Budapest.

Lochte last week told ABC's "Good Morning America" program that it was time to move on from the scandal which attracted headlines around the world, and that "everyone (is) blowing this way out of proportion."

"I'm never one to dwell on the past. I just want to move forward," said the beleaguered swimming star, on the day it was announced he had been chosen to appear on the "Dancing with the Stars" reality show.

"Everyone has got to be sick and tired about hearing about this," Lochte said.

"I just want to move forward."</s>U.S. swimmer Lochte gets 10-month suspension over Rio scandal -media

Sept 7 (Reuters) - American swimmer Ryan Lochte has been suspended for 10 months, U.S. media reported on Wednesday, following a scandal involving the U.S. Olympic athlete and three other swimmers at the Rio Games.

The suspension was handed down by the U.S. Olympic Committee and USA Swimming, USA Today reported, citing an unnamed source. Celebrity gossip website TMZ, citing unnamed sources, also reported the suspension. No further details were available.

Reuters could not independently confirm the reports. Neither the U.S. Olympic Committee nor USA Swimming immediately responded to requests for comment.

Lochte, 32, was dropped by four of his major sponsors after admitting he "overexaggerated" a tale about being robbed and held at gunpoint with the three other swimmers after a party during the Rio Olympics.

Brazilian authorities said the group destroyed a bathroom and urinated in public, and have recommended that Lochte be charged with falsely reporting a crime.

USA Today also reported that the three other swimmers were suspended, although for shorter lengths of time, and that Lochte would be banned from a championship swim meet in Budapest in 2017.

Late last month, ABC television said Lochte was joining the cast of "Dancing With the Stars," a competition in which celebrities are paired with professional ballroom dancers.

That announcement came as the gold medalist said he thought reaction to his Rio de Janeiro tale had been blown out of proportion. (Reporting by Eric M. Johnson in Seattle and Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles; Editing by Peter Cooney)</s>Disgraced US swimmer Ryan Lochte has reportedly been suspended for 10 months following the 'fake robbery' scandal which overshadowed the Rio Olympics.

The punishment was handed down by the US Olympic Committee and USA Swimming, according to multiple reports in America.

Lochte, 32, was dropped by four of his major sponsors after he admitted he "overexaggerated" his story about being robbed and held at gunpoint in Rio.

The Olympic gold medallist claimed he and three teammates - Jimmy Feigen, Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger - were help up after stopping at a petrol station after a party.
• Disgraced Olympian Ryan Lochte in talks to appear on I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here

Brazilian authorities said the group destroyed a bathroom and urinated in public, and have recommended that Lochte be charged with falsely reporting a crime .

USA Today reported that the three other swimmers were suspended, although for shorter lengths of time, and that Lochte would be banned from a championship swim meet in Budapest in 2017.

Late last month, it was revealed that Lochte was joining the cast of "Dancing With the Stars," a competition in which celebrities are paired with professional ballroom dancers.
• US Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte charged over 'false robbery claim' by police in Brazil

That announcement came as the gold medalist said he thought reaction to his Rio de Janeiro tale had been blown out of proportion.

Neither the US Olympic Committee nor USA Swimming immediately responded to requests for comment.</s>Ryan Lochte is banned from swimming through next June and will forfeit $100,000 in bonus money that went with his gold medal at the Olympics, part of the penalty for his drunken encounter at a gas station in Brazil during last month’s games.

The U.S. Olympic Committee and USA Swimming announced the penalties Thursday. Lochte agreed to a ban that will also render him ineligible for world championships next July because he won’t be able to qualify for them at nationals the previous month.

He’ll get no monthly funding from either organization, can’t access USOC training centres, must perform 20 hours of community service and will miss Team USA’s post-Olympics trip to the White House.

Agreeing to four-month suspensions were Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger and Jimmy Feigen, who were with Lochte at the gas station. Those sanctions, which end Dec. 31, also strip funding and training access and preclude them from the White House visit.

Bentz, 20, will also serve 10 hours of community service for violating a curfew rule for athletes under 21.

“As we have said previously, the behaviour of these athletes was not acceptable. It unfairly maligned our hosts and diverted attention away from the historic achievements of Team USA,” USOC CEO Scott Blackmun said. “Each of the athletes has accepted responsibility for his actions and accepted the appropriate sanctions.”

The USOC gives a $25,000 bonus to Olympic gold-medal winners, and USA Swimming has awarded a $75,000 gold-medal bonus at past Olympics.

But that money pales in comparison to what Lochte lost last month when key sponsors , including Speedo USA and Ralph Lauren, abandoned the 32-year-old in the wake of his actions at the gas station, then his rapidly changing accounts of what really happened. Estimates have put the financial hit for those losses at around $1 million.

While the near-10-month suspension is four months longer than the one Michael Phelps received in 2014 for his second DUI, the ouster from next year’s world championships isn’t considered major, in part because those championships typically attract a lesser field in the year after the Olympics.

Swimming’s international federation, FINA, called the sanctions “proportionate, adequate and sufficient,” and said it had no plans to augment them.

Despite his embarrassment, Lochte has maintained a high profile, posting regularly on social media and accepting a spot on the upcoming season of “Dancing With The Stars.”

Last month, Brazilian police charged Lochte with filing a false robbery report, but Lochte has not said whether he’ll return to Brazil to defend himself.

Lochte’s gold in the 4x200 freestyle relay was one of 121 overall medals the United States won at the Olympics, yet his actions at the gas station overshadowed a large portion of the second half of the Olympics.

The International Olympic Committee’s ethics commission is also looking into the incident.

“When Code of Conduct infractions occur, it’s our responsibility to take action that reflects the seriousness of what happened,” USA Swimming executive director Chuck Wielgus said. “Unfortunately, this story line took attention away from the athletes who deserved it the most.”</s>Ryan Lochte's future as a competitive swimmer has been called into question, with the US Olympic Committee and USA Swimming jointly announced the 12-time Olympic medallist has been suspended for 10 months and barred from the 2017 World Championships.

Lochte's role in a gas-station confrontation with armed security guards during the Rio de Janeiro Olympics nearly overshadowed the Games' second week.

The three other swimmers with Lochte on the morning of August 14 - Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger and James Feigen - were suspended for four months each, but remain eligible for the world championships.

All four will lose their stipends and other bonuses during the suspensions - which, in Lochte's case, could cost him as much as $100,000 - and won't be permitted to join Team USA during a scheduled visit to the White House later this month.

READ MORE:

 * US swimmer Ryan Lochte gets 10-month suspension over Rio Olympics scandal

 * Lochte could be axed from US team

 * Swimmer takes blame for 'robbery' claim

 * Bentz blames Lochte for fake robbery

"Unfortunately, this storyline took attention away from the athletes who deserved it the most," USA Swimming CEO Chuck Wielgus said in a statement.

"These athletes took accountability for their mistakes and are committed to represent themselves and our country with the great character and distinction we expect."

The suspension of Lochte, 32, is four months longer than the one given to longtime US teammate and rival Michael Phelps in 2014 when the latter was arrested for a second time for DUI, and undoubtedly reflects the degree of embarrassment Lochte caused for the American delegation in Brazil, as well as the host country.

"The behaviour of these athletes was not acceptable," USOC CEO Scott Blackmun said in a statement.

"It unfairly maligned our hosts and diverted attention away from the historic achievements of Team USA."

All four of the swimmers signed statements accepting the sanctions.

Lochte's includes 20 hours of community service, while Bentz, 20, must perform 10 hours of community service for violating the USOC's curfew rules for athletes under 21.

Conger told the Austin American-Statesman this week, "I do not in any way agree with those sanctions, [but] I thought it was best. . . just to put an end to this, regardless whether I thought the consequences were fair or not."

In his original telling of the story of what happened that morning, Lochte said his group was pulled over in their taxi and robbed by armed assailants impersonating police, one of whom pointed a gun to his forehead.

That story caused a media outcry in a city where street violence is a constant danger, but after Brazilian officials cast doubt on the story, Lochte later admitted embellishing elements of it.

In fact, the confrontation occurred at a gas station, where the swimmers acknowledged they urinated on a wall and where Lochte tore down an advertising sign.

When Lochte's group attempted to leave without paying for the damage, at least one security guard pulled out a weapon and demanded money before they could leave.

Lochte left Brazil soon after the incident, but the others had their passports confiscated and were questioned by authorities - with Feigen paying a fine of about $11,000 - before being permitted to leave the country.

Brazilian authorities filed charges against Lochte for falsely reporting a robbery, but it is unlikely he would return there to face those charges.

In his last interview with NBC, he acknowledged he "over-exaggerated" the story and apologised for his "immature" behaviour.

In the wake of the incident, Lochte lost all of his major sponsorship deals, which were estimated to be worth at least $1 million annually.

He has said he plans to continue his swimming career, but in the short term he has signed on to participate in ABC's "Dancing With the Stars," which premiers next week.

Even without the suspension, Lochte's future in the sport was murky at best.

He showed signs of decline this year, suffering a groin injury at the Olympic trials and qualifying for the Olympics in only one individual event - the 200-meter individual medley, in which he finished fifth.

His lone medal in Brazil was a gold as part of the 4x200 freestyle relay.

The suspension's length means Lochte would next be eligible for a major international meet at the 2018 Pan-Pacific Championships, when he would be 34.

He turns 36 the same summer as the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.</s>He was charged by Brazilian police last month of making a false report about being robbed at gunpoint during a night out.

U.S. swimmer Ryan Lochte has been hit with a 10-month suspension following his bogus gunpoint robbery story during a drunken night out at the Olympics, two separate media reports said Wednesday.

Lochte, 32, has been suspended until mid-2017, the USA Today newspaper reported, citing a person with knowledge of the situation. He would also be banned from next year’s World Championships in Budapest.

A United States Olympic Committee (USOC) spokesman declined to confirm the reports when contacted by AFP for comment. USA Today said a statement confirming the suspension would be issued on Thursday.

Lochte’s suspension was first reported by the TMZ.com entertainment news website. The site said three other swimmers involved in the escapade were suspended for varying periods up to four months.

Lochte, a 12-time Olympic medallist, has lost a slew of sponsorship deals following the Rio escapade.

He was charged by Brazilian police last month of making a false report about being robbed at gunpoint during a night out.

Lochte had already left the country by the time the charges were filed. The Olympic gold medal winner had told the media in Rio that he and three teammates had been mugged after an all-night party by robbers pretending to be police.

The tale humiliated first the Brazilian hosts of the Games and later Lochte’s own Team USA, after police determined that he had largely fabricated his story.

Lochte, who is now seeking to rehabilitate his public image with an appearance on upcoming reality show Dancing With the Stars has apologised for his behavior.

“I’m taking full responsibility for it,” Lochte said in a television interview. “I over-exaggerated that story and if I had never done that, we wouldn’t be in this mess.”</s>Ryan Lochte has been suspended for 10 months after he falsified claims of being robbed at gunpoint during the Rio Olympics.

The disgraced Team USA swimmer was handed the suspension on Wednesday by the International Olympic Committee, the US Olympic Committee, and USA Swimming, TMZ reports.

Lochte will also be banned from the 2017 world championship meet, which will be held in Budapest next July.

There are additional conditions attached to the suspension, though these are currently unknown.

Sources also confirmed that Lochte's suspension will be longer than that handed out to teammates Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger and Jimmy Feigen, though their punishments have not been revealed yet.

The suspension is also four months longer than the one fellow swimmer Michael Phelps received after his two DUI arrests.

The decision was debated by the USOC because Phelps put people's lives in danger with his actions, whereas Lochte simply misrepresented a series of events.

Some USOC officials felt the punishment was too harsh, according to TMZ, though it was still allowed to stand.

The ban is just the latest blow for the twelve-time Olympic medalist, who lost sponsorship deals worth millions of dollars following the robbery debacle.

In an now-infamous beach interview with Billy Bush, Lochte claimed to have been robbed at gunpoint at the Rio Olympics alongside fellow swimmers Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger and Jimmy Feigen.

After days of claim and counter claim between Lochte and the Brazilian police, it emerged that the team had drunkenly trashed a gas station before armed security guards forced them to pay for the damage.

While Lochte was able to fly back to the US before the row erupted, Conger and Bentz were pulled off a flight back to Texas before being interviewed by police.

During that interrogation they admitted the story had been fabricated by Lochte, saying the version of events he gave to Bush was untrue.

They also painted Lochte as the villain, saying he smashed an advertisement at the gas station before confronting the guards.

Meanwhile Feigen was forced to pay $11,000 to charity in order to leave Brazil after authorities confiscated his passport.

Lochte had already pledged to take a 'significant' amount of time away from swimming to refocus following the incident, so the ban will likely have little impact on his schedule beyond that.

While he has admitted exaggerating certain parts of his account of that night, namely having a gun cocked and put against his head, he maintains the team were held by armed men and told to hand over money in order to leave.

Brazilian police contended that Lochte and his teammates broke an advertising board and trashed a bathroom at the gas station, though no evidence of damage to the bathroom was every uncovered.

Meanwhile pictures of the advertising board show a small crack in the plastic covering it.</s>Multiple reports say Ryan Lochte has been handed a 10-month ban by the United States Olympic Committee and USA Swimming for an incident that led to the Olympic gold medallist being charged by Brazilian police with filing a false robbery report.

The swimmer claimed he had been robbed at gunpoint at a gas station on a night out during the Rio Olympics, where he had been competing last month. However, security camera footage appeared to show that Lochte and three team-mates had vandalized a bathroom and the “robbers” were security guards demanding payment for the damages.

The incident came to dominate headlines at the Rio Olympics, angering the hosts who believed it portrayed their city as crime ridden, and embarrassing a USA team that had gone to great lengths to avoid negative publicity.

TMZ first reported news of the suspension, and said Lochte will miss next year’s world swimming championships as a result. Lochte had said before the incident he would consider appearing at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo although that now appears to be a a long shot at best.

Lochte has denied lying about the incident but has admitted “he left details out” and has apologized for his actions. “I was intoxicated,” Lochte said last month. “I was immature, and I made a stupid mistake. I’m human, and I’m just really sorry.”

Lochte has lost four major sponsors since the “robbery”, including the swimwear manufacturer Speedo. However, he has picked one up, Pine Bros Softish Throat Drops, whose slogan says the product is “Forgiving On Your Throat.” He will also appear on the upcoming series of Dancing With The Stars.

The USOC apologized for Lochte and his team-mates’ behavior last month. “The behavior of these athletes is not acceptable, nor does it represent the values of Team USA or the conduct of the vast majority of its members,” it said in a statement.</s>Twelve-time Olympic swimming medalist Ryan Lochte reportedly has been suspended 10 months for his role in an embarrassing incident during last month's Rio de Janeiro Olympics, in which he embellished details of a gas station confrontation with armed security guards, setting off a week of international intrigue that threatened to overshadow the second week of the Summer Games.

Lochte's suspension, first reported by TMZ, was expected to be the longest of the four U.S. swimmers involved in the Rio de Janeiro incident, which occurred in the early morning of Aug. 14, hours after the Olympic swimming competition ended. Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger and Jimmy Feigen were with Lochte at the gas station, where Lochte allegedly vandalized the station, leading to the confrontation with security.

Conger, a swimmer at the University of Texas, will be suspended for four months, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. The swimmers' suspensions are expected to be announced officially Thursday, in a joint statement by the U.S. Olympic Committee and USA Swimming.

In Lochte's case, his 10-month suspension would keep him out of the 2017 World Championships, as he would miss the qualifying period during which the U.S. team will be chosen. When Michael Phelps was suspended six months in Oct. 2014 following his second DUI arrest, he also missed Worlds the following summer.

Conger's suspension, on the other hand, will not prevent him from swimming at Worlds, according to the person with knowledge of the situation.

Lochte, 32, initially said he and the other swimmers were pulled over in a taxi by armed men with police badges who demanded money. At one point, he said, a gun was pointed at his forehead. The story of the apparent armed robbery of one of the most decorated Olympians in history caused a media sensation and reinforced stereotypes of Rio as a lawless landwere foreigners were unsafe.

But as Brazilian officials began to investigate Lochte's tale, he was forced to alter his narrative multiple times, eventually acknowledging he "over-exaggerated" elements of it. The incident happened at the gas station, not on a highway, and the man who pointed a gun in Lochte's direction was not a robber, but an armed security guard demanding restitution for the advertising sign Lochte had torn down.

While Lochte was able to depart Brazil the day after the alleged incident, Bentz and Conger were pulled from their initial flight back to the states and were forced to give statements before being allowed to leave the following night. Feigen, meantime, was forced to pay a fine of around $11,000 before being granted permission to leave.

Lochte lost his major endorsements following the incident, and recently was announced as a contestant on ABC's "Dancing With the Stars." He has said he intends to continue his career as a competitive swimmer.
American swimmer Ryan Lochte agrees to a 10-month suspension while his other colleagues get four.