Lochtegate
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Lochtegate is the
colloquial Colloquialism (), also called colloquial language, everyday language or general parlance, is the linguistic style used for casual (informal) communication. It is the most common functional style of speech, the idiom normally employed in conver ...
name of the scandal involving United States swim team members
Ryan Lochte Ryan Steven Lochte ( ; born August 3, 1984) is an American professional swimmer and 12-time Olympic medalist. Along with Natalie Coughlin, Dara Torres, and Jenny Thompson, he is the second-most decorated swimmer in Olympic history measured by to ...
,
Jimmy Feigen James Feigen (born September 26, 1989) is a former American competition swimmer who specializes in freestyle events. He won a gold medal for the 4x100-meter freestyle relay for the 2016 Summer Olympics. Previously, he won a silver medal as a me ...
,
Gunnar Bentz Joseph "Gunnar" Bentz (born January 3, 1996) is an American former competitive swimmer and Olympic gold medalist. Early life Bentz graduated from St. Pius X Catholic High School in 2014. Career He is a four-time medalist (two gold, two bronze ...
, and
Jack Conger John "Jack" Peet Conger (born September 26, 1994) is an American competition swimmer who specializes in butterfly and freestyle events. He is an Olympic gold medalist in the 4 × 200 m freestyle relay from the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de ...
during the
2016 Summer Olympics The 2016 Summer Olympics ( pt, Jogos Olímpicos de Verão de 2016), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad ( pt, Jogos da XXXI Olimpíada) and also known as Rio 2016, was an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 20 ...
held in
Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...
,
Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
. While initial news stories reported that Lochte and three other US swimmers had been robbed at gunpoint after a night out in Rio, later details emerged that the "armed robbers posing as police" were actually security guards at a gas station where the swimmers had urinated outside the bathroom and Lochte allegedly vandalized a framed poster, and ended with the swimmers providing money to the guards. Some of the swimmers were detained in Brazil as witnesses. Ultimately, the athletes each released statements, and one swimmer paid a fine of approximately $10,800 to a Brazilian charity in order to get his passport back. Lochte apologized for not being more candid about the gas station dispute, and subsequently lost four major sponsorships. On September 8, both the U.S. Olympic Committee and USA Swimming suspended Lochte for 10 months and Bentz, Conger, and Feigen for four months. Additionally, Lochte was required to complete 20 hours of community service, and Bentz was required to complete 10 hours. All were made ineligible for financial support during their suspensions, removed from the U.S. Olympic delegation to the White House, barred from U.S. Olympic training centers, and blocked from attending USA Swimming's year-end Golden Goggles celebration. Lochte was charged in Brazil with falsely reporting a crime. The scandal gained significant media attention both during the games and after their conclusion. In July 2017, the court in Brazil dismissed the charges against Lochte, saying his actions "did not rise to the level of filing a false crime report."


Initial account of incident

On the morning of August 14, 2016,
Ryan Lochte Ryan Steven Lochte ( ; born August 3, 1984) is an American professional swimmer and 12-time Olympic medalist. Along with Natalie Coughlin, Dara Torres, and Jenny Thompson, he is the second-most decorated swimmer in Olympic history measured by to ...
and
Jimmy Feigen James Feigen (born September 26, 1989) is a former American competition swimmer who specializes in freestyle events. He won a gold medal for the 4x100-meter freestyle relay for the 2016 Summer Olympics. Previously, he won a silver medal as a me ...
claimed that they and teammates
Gunnar Bentz Joseph "Gunnar" Bentz (born January 3, 1996) is an American former competitive swimmer and Olympic gold medalist. Early life Bentz graduated from St. Pius X Catholic High School in 2014. Career He is a four-time medalist (two gold, two bronze ...
and
Jack Conger John "Jack" Peet Conger (born September 26, 1994) is an American competition swimmer who specializes in butterfly and freestyle events. He is an Olympic gold medalist in the 4 × 200 m freestyle relay from the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de ...
were robbed in
Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...
, Brazil, during the
2016 Summer Olympics The 2016 Summer Olympics ( pt, Jogos Olímpicos de Verão de 2016), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad ( pt, Jogos da XXXI Olimpíada) and also known as Rio 2016, was an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 20 ...
after armed men showing a "police badge" allegedly forced them out of their taxi at gunpoint in the early morning hours. The story was initially publicized that day after a chance encounter between Lochte's mother, Ileana Lochte, and Fox Sports Australia presenter Ben Way. Way
tweeted Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
that "Ryan Lochte has been held up at gunpoint," which resulted in a prompt denial from
International Olympic Committee The International Olympic Committee (IOC; french: link=no, Comité international olympique, ''CIO'') is a non-governmental sports organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is constituted in the form of an association under the Swiss ...
spokesman Mark Adams that the report was "absolutely not true." The next day, Lochte claimed in an interview with
Billy Bush William Hall Bush (born October 13, 1971) is an American radio and television host. He is a member of the Bush family, a nephew of President George H. W. Bush and cousin of President George W. Bush and Florida governor Jeb Bush. After appearin ...
on the ''
Today Show ''Today'' (also called ''The Today Show'' or informally, ''NBC News Today'') is an American news and talk morning television show that airs weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on NBC. The program debuted on January 14, 1952. It was ...
'' that the men who stopped their taxi had a police badge, and that one of the men cocked his gun and put it up against Lochte's forehead. Rio Olympics spokesman Mario Andrada stated, "We regret the violence has got so close to the athletes."


Investigation and conflicting accounts of the incident

Lochte returned to the United States on August 15. On August 17, police went to the
Olympic Village An Olympic Village is an accommodation center built for the Olympic Games, usually within an Olympic Park or elsewhere in a host city. Olympic Villages are built to house all participating athletes, as well as officials and athletic trainers. Afte ...
to secure Lochte and Feigen's passports "in order to secure further testimony from the athletes." On August 18, Lochte's attorney Jeff Ostrow said Lochte "sat for a victim interview with the Brazilian Tourist Police, USOC Security, State Department, FBI, and anyone else that the Brazilian authorities requested to be present." On the evening of August 17, Conger and Bentz were removed from a flight while attempting to leave the country and their passports were seized in order to compel testimony about the incident. A judge in Brazil also issued a search and seizure warrant for Lochte and Feigen; Feigen subsequently contacted the authorities, and said he would make a public statement when the matter was settled. Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro concluded that the athletes were not robbed, but instead had been involved in an incident at a gas station in
Barra da Tijuca Barra da Tijuca () (usually known as Barra) is an upper-class neighborhood or bairro in the Rio de Janeiro#West Zone, West Zone of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, located in the western portion of the city on the Atlantic Ocean. Barra is well known for it ...
, west of the city. According to statements by the owner on August 18, they broke a soap dispenser in the bathroom, damaged a door, tore down a sign and urinated around the premises. This investigation found that the swimmers stopped at a gas station near Casa França, where security guards detained the swimmers for vandalism perpetrated in a bathroom while intoxicated. Rio's police chief Fernando Veloso stated that the swimmers handed over 100 reals ($31) and $20 in U.S. currency as compensation for objects damaged in the bathroom, such as a soap holder, a mirror, and a "Please Do Not Enter" sign. According to anonymous police sources, Conger and Bentz at first told the police Lochte's story was fabricated. The
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
reported that Conger and Bentz "refuted Lochte’s claim that the group was held up by armed assailants". Gunnar Bentz stated that two guns were drawn, while Fernando Deluz, who helped translate conversations between the swimmers and armed security guards at the gas station, stated a gun was involved in the incident, but was not pointed at the swimmers. On the morning of August 18, upon his return to America, Feigen reiterated in an interview that "We were robbed at gunpoint." That same day, police recommended Lochte face charges for falsely reporting a crime. On August 19, Lochte hired public relations consultant Matthew Hiltzik and posted an apology on
Instagram Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...
for his behavior.


Lochte charged in Brazil

On August 25, 2016, Lochte was charged by Rio police with falsely reporting a crime, with other officials stating he would be summoned to Rio. Lochte can be represented by a lawyer and is not required to appear in court. A conviction could result in one to six months in jail, with the judge allowed to levy a fine instead. Lochte would also have the ability to appeal any decision. The next day, Lochte's lawyer stated there would be no response to the charge of making a false statement which would create the possibility of Lochte being tried in absentia.


''USA Today'' investigation

On August 23, ''USA Today'' released an on-site investigation at the gas station that "raised questions about Rio cops" and "supports Lochte's later account in which he said he thought the swimmers were being robbed." The ''USA Today'' report quoted a Brazilian judge who said police might have been hasty in determining the security guards did not commit a robbery, and a Brazilian lawyer "says she does not think the actions of Lochte and teammate Jimmy Feigen constitute the filing of a false police report as defined under Brazilian law". On August 30, Lochte appeared on ABC's TV morning show ''
Good Morning America ''Good Morning America'' (often abbreviated as ''GMA'') is an American morning television program that is broadcast on ABC. It debuted on November 3, 1975, and first expanded to weekends with the debut of a Sunday edition on January 3, 1993. Th ...
'' and doubled down on his insistence that the Rio police version of events is "absurd" and said:
"USA TODAY and other people have been finding out and investigating,...There was no damage to the bathroom. I have never even entered the bathroom. It was locked, so we couldn't go in there at all. The story about me vandalising the bathroom is absurd. It never happened."
On August 24, 2016, CBS News also questioned the accuracy of Brazil's version of events and cited the report by ''USA Today'' Sports, in line with their findings.


Athlete statements


Lochte statement and fallout

Lochte made a television appearance on August 20, 2016, in which he continued to deny the premises of the situation, while apologizing for his "immature" decisions and behavior. ''
PRWeek ''PRWeek'' is a trade magazine for the public relations industry. The original UK edition was the brainchild of the late Geoffrey Lace who at the time worked for Haymarket. After failing to interest Haymarket in his idea he left to launch it on ...
'' noted that many found the statement to be lacking, with ''
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'' noting possible legal exposure. Lochte later admitted he was drunk and that his claims were "over-exaggerated". On August 26, when asked about whether the US would consider a request from Brazil to
extradite Extradition is an action wherein one jurisdiction delivers a person accused or convicted of committing a crime in another jurisdiction, over to the other's law enforcement. It is a cooperative law enforcement procedure between the two jurisdict ...
Lochte, White house press secretary
Josh Earnest Joshua Ryan Henry Earnest
''
Good Morning America ''Good Morning America'' (often abbreviated as ''GMA'') is an American morning television program that is broadcast on ABC. It debuted on November 3, 1975, and first expanded to weekends with the debut of a Sunday edition on January 3, 1993. Th ...
'' on August 30, 2016, Lochte said his claim of being held up at gunpoint was a "very big mistake," but regarding the ensuing scandal, "I think it's everyone blowing this way out of proportion. I think that's what happened." Regarding his claim that a gun was held to his head, he stated, "Like I said, I did lie about that one part." and that it was made while still intoxicated the next day. On August 19, 2016, Lochte's attorney reiterated both the specific robbery allegation, saying "That part of the story will never change. We stand behind that," as well as the core the elements of uniformed guards, armed, and demanding money. On August 30, 2016, Lochte refuted the Rio de Janeiro police's claims of vandalism by the swimmers, stating, "USA TODAY and other people have been finding out and investigating,” and "There was no damage to the bathroom. I have never even entered the bathroom. It was locked, so we couldn't go in there at all."


Feigen statement and fine

Feige
issued a statement
on August 24, 2016, after he was allowed to leave Brazil. The content of the statement began with "I would like to apologize for the serious distractions from the Olympics..." After giving his understanding of the facts of the case, he also said "In this statement, I omitted the facts that we urinated behind the building and that Ryan Lochte pulled a poster off the wall. This statement was written by the officers in Portuguese, and I was then asked to sign the statement without seeing it translated into English. I realize that I made a mistake by omitting these facts. I was trying to protect my teammates and for this I apologize." ''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
'' reported that Feigen paid a fine and then left Brazil on August 19, 2016, after his passport was released. Feigen stated that he paid the fine of approximately $10,800 to a Brazilian charity in order to get his passport back. He also stated the court initially proposed a $31,250 fine and 15 days of community service. After he rejected the offer, the judge increased the amount to $46,875, but Feigen's attorney negotiated the final amount.


Bentz and Conger statements (no charges)

On the evening of August 17, Conger and Bentz were removed from a flight while attempting to leave the country and their passports were seized in order to compel testimony about the incident. A judge in Brazil also issued a search and seizure warrant for Lochte and Feigen; Feigen subsequently contacted the authorities, and said he would make a public statement when the matter was settled. Civil Police of Rio de Janeiro concluded that the athletes were not robbed, but instead had been involved in an incident at a gas station in
Barra da Tijuca Barra da Tijuca () (usually known as Barra) is an upper-class neighborhood or bairro in the Rio de Janeiro#West Zone, West Zone of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, located in the western portion of the city on the Atlantic Ocean. Barra is well known for it ...
. After Bentz returned to the United States, he released a statement August 19 about the incident. He started by stating "I want to offer a sincere apology to the United States Olympic Committee, USA Swimming, the extraordinary women and men of Team USA, and the University of Georgia." He continued with "While I am anxious to put this matter behind me and rejoin my Georgia teammates in classes, practices and competitions, I feel compelled to stress several key points. 1. I was never a suspect in the case from the beginning (Brazilian law enforcement officials saw me only as a witness). 2. I never made a false statement to anyone at any time." He went on detailing the incident to include admitting to urinating behind the gas station, and that Lochte pulled down a framed metal advertisement. After Conger returned to the United States, he issued a statement on August 19, 2016, in which he stated "Let me begin by emphasizing that I have been completely truthful in my statements throughout this unfortunate situation, including the information I provided to US officials before leaving Brazil. In fact, the Brazilian authorities made clear to me from the very beginning that I was being considered only a witness, not a suspect." He apologized by saying "we pulled into a gas station to use the restroom, but ultimately relieved ourselves outside, for which I apologize."


Aftermath


Media response

The story, and the athletes' multiple versions of it, dominated Olympic headlines, and was described as "overshadowing the worthy accomplishments of athletes who trained for years."
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
drew criticism for its handling of Lochte's account. On August 24, 2016, Lochte's attorney stated about the prior week, "I’ve had every media outlet in the world reach out to me, the biggest news shows, the biggest talk shows." The scandal drew social media mockery and then scorn, including commentary about white privilege and rude Americans. #Lochtegate became a trending topic on Twitter, alternatively dubbed as #LochMess, with the social media phenomenon drawing media coverage. with ''
Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
'' awarding the meme a silver medal. Talk show hosts
Stephen Colbert Stephen Tyrone Colbert ( ; born May 13, 1964) is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He is best known for hosting the satirical Comedy Central program ''The Colbert Report'' from 2005 to ...
parodied Lochte's ''Today Show'' interview and compared his behavior to
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
, while
Jimmy Fallon James Thomas Fallon (born September 19, 1974) is an American comedian, television host, actor, and writer. He is known for his work in television as a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' and as the host of the late-night talk show ''The Ton ...
parodied Lochte at the
MTV Video Music Awards The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honour the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category) ...
with attendee Michael Phelps' joy "noticeable from the start."


Aftermath in Brazil

In Brazil, the events "shocked and deeply angered Brazilians, who said it cast a false negative shadow on their city" and was condemned for drawing additional attention to crime and violence in Rio de Janeiro. Some Brazilians drew parallels between the swimmers' actions and U.S. foreign policy. The
Shell Shell may refer to: Architecture and design * Shell (structure), a thin structure ** Concrete shell, a thin shell of concrete, usually with no interior columns or exterior buttresses ** Thin-shell structure Science Biology * Seashell, a hard ou ...
gas station was incorporated into a commercial tour of Olympic sites, and reports an increase in paid customers and visitors taking selfies.


Reactions by fellow athletes

Fellow American swimmer
Lilly King Lillia Camille King (born February 10, 1997) is an American swimmer who specializes in breaststroke. She currently represents the Cali Condors, a team that is part of the International Swimming League. At the 2016 Summer Olympics she won the go ...
said, "It’s sad that people aren’t focusing on how well the U.S. Olympic team did. This might have been the best team we've ever had." Swimmer
Maya DiRado Madeline Jane "Maya" DiRado - Andrews (born April 5, 1993) is a retired American competitive swimming (sport), swimmer who specialized in freestyle swimming, freestyle, butterfly stroke, butterfly, backstroke, and medley swimming, individual med ...
, who earned four medals said, "We wish that that hadn't taken attention away from our week of swimming because it was a phenomenal week for Team U.S.A. and U.S. swimming, and it was a phenomenal week on week two for those athletes on track and field."
Conor Dwyer Conor James Dwyer (born January 10, 1989) is a former American competition swimmer and Olympic gold medalist. He competed in freestyle and medley events, and won a gold medal as a member of the winning U.S. 4×200-meter freestyle relay team a ...
added, "It was tragic that the last week of the games that's all they're talking about and we don't want that to reflect poorly on U.S.A. swimming."
Michael Phelps Michael Fred Phelps II (born June 30, 1985) is an American former competitive swimmer. He is the most successful and most decorated Olympian of all time with a total of 28 medals. Phelps also holds the all-time records for Olympic gold me ...
said, "It's always hard to see a friend and competitor go through a hard time like this. I know what it feels like and I've been through it before."


Marketability impact on involved swimmers

Marketers believed future professional and business opportunities for Gunnar Bentz, 20, and Jack Conger, 21, would be significantly reduced. MediaMiser reported Lochte's favorability rating changed from 90% positive on August 14–15 to 70% negative on August 17–18, with ''Forbes'' projecting a reduction of "at least $5-10 million in future lifetime income" due to damage to his personal brand. After Lochte's statements,
Speedo Speedo International Limited is a distributor of swimwear and swim-related accessories based in Nottingham, England, known for its swim briefs. The company has roots in Australia but is no longer based there. Founded in Sydney in 1914 by Al ...
and
Ralph Lauren Ralph Lauren, ( ; ; born October 14, 1939) is an American fashion designer, philanthropist, and billionaire businessman, best known for the Ralph Lauren Corporation, a global multibillion-dollar enterprise. He has become well known for his co ...
ended their endorsement deals with Lochte, with Speedo announcing that the company would donate $50,000 from Lochte's endorsement fee to
Save the Children The Save the Children Fund, commonly known as Save the Children, is an international non-governmental organization established in the United Kingdom in 1919 to improve the lives of children through better education, health care, and economic ...
in Brazil. The Brazilian newspaper
O Globo ''O Globo'' (, ''The Globe'') is a Brazilian newspaper based in Rio de Janeiro. ''O Globo'' is the most prominent print publication in the Grupo Globo media conglomerate. Founded by journalist Irineu Marinho, owner of ''A Noite'', it was orig ...
reported that other sponsors of Ryan Lochte, the Airweave and Syneron Candela also terminated their contracts. According to a commentator and sports business analyst for
ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
,
Darren Rovell Darren Rovell (born June 30, 1978) is a sports business analyst who works for The Action Network. He previously worked for ESPN. Early life and education He attended and graduated cum laude from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, i ...
, Lochte will lose US$1 million. However, Lochte signed new endorsement deals with Pine Bros Softish Throat Drops with the campaign slogan "Forgiving On Your Throat" and Robocopp, a crime prevention company, which manufactures a "sound grenade" designed to deter would-be robbers. Pine Bros CEO Rider McDowell told Yahoo Finance there was a 20% sales increase in the week following the signing. He also joined ''
Dancing with the Stars ''Dancing with the Stars'' is the name of various international television series based on the format of the British TV series '' Strictly Come Dancing'', which is distributed by BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the forma ...
''. During the live installment of the season premier, two men wearing anti-Lochte T-shirts rushed the stage while Lochte was receiving his scores. They were tackled by security guards, then arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department and charged with suspicion of criminal trespassing. Lochte stated his intent to participate in the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. On August 26, Lochte announced that he will be making a celebrity appearance at a
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Comic Con in
Richmond, VA (Thus do we reach the stars) , image_map = , mapsize = 250 px , map_caption = Location within Virginia , pushpin_map = Virginia#USA , pushpin_label = Richmond , pushpin_m ...
in September 2016.


Discipline of the athletes

On August 18,
U.S. Olympic Committee The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) is the National Olympic Committee and the National Paralympic Committee for the United States. It was founded in 1895 as the United States Olympic Committee, and is headquartered in Col ...
CEO Scott Blackmun apologized for the incident On August 19, the International Olympic Committee created a disciplinary commission for the four swimmers, to investigate the matter and potentially sanction the athletes. On August 21, Blackmun stated that further action would occur involving the four.


USOC & USA Swimming sanctions

On September 8, both the U.S. Olympic Committee and USA Swimming suspended Lochte for 10 months and Bentz, Conger and Feigen for four months. Additionally, Lochte was required to complete 20 hours of community service and Bentz required to complete 10 hours. All were made ineligible for financial support during their suspensions, removed from the U.S. Olympic delegation to the White House, barred from U.S. Olympic training centers, and blocked from attending USA Swimming's year-end Golden Goggles celebration. Lochte's lawyer, Jeff Ostrow, declined to comment on the appropriateness of the sanctions, and reiterated that "Ryan did not commit a crime." Conger stated, "I do not agree in any way with these sanctions," and maintained that all he did wrong was to urinate publicly at the gas station. Blackmun's statement noted, "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," and "Each of the athletes has accepted responsibility for his actions and accepted the appropriate sanctions." Chuck Wielgus of USA Swimming stated, "Unfortunately, this storyline took attention away from the athletes who deserved it the most" and "These wimmerstook accountability for their mistakes and are committed to represent themselves and our country with the great character and distinction we expect."


Commentary


Gender equality

Several opinion writers criticised the contrasting consequences faced by Lochte to both women's goalkeeper
Hope Solo Hope Amelia Stevens (; born July 30, 1981) is an American former soccer goalkeeper. She was a goalkeeper for the United States women's national soccer team from 2000 to 2016, and is a World Cup champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist. Aft ...
, who was suspended by the United States Soccer Federation for six months after making unsportsmanlike post-game comments, and American gymnast
Gabby Douglas Gabrielle Christina Victoria Douglas (born December 31, 1995) is an American artistic gymnastics, artistic gymnast. She is the Gymnastics at the 2012 Summer Olympics, 2012 Olympic all around champion and the 2015 World Artistic Gymnastics Champi ...
. An ''
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
'' columnist stated, "A triumphant Olympics for the U.S. team — especially all those golden female athletes — has come with some nasty aftershocks, raising more potential questions about gender inequality." ''
Salon Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon, a venue for cosmetic treatments * French term for a drawing room, an architectural space in a home * Salon (gathering), a meeting for learning or enjoyment Arts and entertainment * Salon (P ...
'' criticized the general treatment of male athletes including past Olympians, while ''
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'' noted the impact in which "NBC wants to both showcase women athletes and attract female viewers."


White privilege

Several opinion pieces drew links to
white privilege White privilege, or white skin privilege, is the societal privilege that benefits white people over non-white people in some societies, particularly if they are otherwise under the same social, political, or economic circumstances. With roots ...
, while others refuted the charge. ''
Ebony Ebony is a dense black/brown hardwood, coming from several species in the genus ''Diospyros'', which also contains the persimmons. Unlike most woods, ebony is dense enough to sink in water. It is finely textured and has a mirror finish when pol ...
'' stated, "Lochte's tale of being robbed by seemingly corrupt cops was not only in line with what many already believed about nations full of people of color, but it also tainted the spirit of the entire games." Leah Donella, a news assistant at
NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...
, disagreed, "Lochte's own background — he's half Cuban, another country with an extremely complex racial history — further complicates that narrative." Some negatively contrasted the treatment of the scandal involving white swimmers against the reaction received by African-American gymnast
Gabby Douglas Gabrielle Christina Victoria Douglas (born December 31, 1995) is an American artistic gymnastics, artistic gymnast. She is the Gymnastics at the 2012 Summer Olympics, 2012 Olympic all around champion and the 2015 World Artistic Gymnastics Champi ...
for not placing her hand over her heart during the national anthem.


See also

* Concerns and controversies at the 2016 Summer Olympics *
Olympic Games scandals and controversies The Olympic Games is a major international multi-sport event. During its history, both the Summer and Winter Games have been a subject of scandals and controversies, including the use of performance enhancing drugs. Some countries have boycotted ...
*
List of scandals in Brazil This is a list of scandals in Brazil. Before 1950 * (1770) An indigenous revolt in Roraima. So many soldiers and native people were killed, their blood tinted the waters of the Branco River. 1960s Historians believe that construction of the ...
*
List of scandals with "-gate" suffix This is a list of scandals or controversies whose names include a ''-gate'' suffix, by analogy with the Watergate scandal, as well as other incidents to which the suffix has (often facetiously) been applied. This list also includes controversi ...
*
List of sporting scandals This is a list of major sports scandals. American football scandals * Minnesota Vikings boat party scandal (2005) – a sex party involving several members of the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL) * National Football Lea ...


References

{{Olympic Games controversies 2016 crimes in Brazil 2016 scandals 2016 Summer Olympics Olympic Games controversies Sports scandals in Brazil Sports scandals in the United States White privilege Gender equality