Photo Credit: HashTagJill
Tyler Krenzin
Lantern Staff
Olympic athletes throughout the ages have been what most people strive to be: the perfect athlete with a very high moral code, ones who stand on a pillar of greatness that we all look up to hoping that one day we can reach. In some ways these athletes deserve to have some kind of an attitude or a bit of cockiness A La Usain Bolt who turned and smiled at another competitor mid-race. Among these athletes that are known to have a certain personality with them one that stands alone is Ryan Lochte.
Lochte, a swimmer for the U.S. Nationals, after a long day of competing went out for a night of partying with a pair of other swimmers. The original story told by Lochte showed that he and his buddies were held at gunpoint by robbers. Lochte, who said multiple times that he had a gun to his head, also reported that he gave up his wallet and cash, but none of his important Items such as an I.D., Olympic credentials and passport were taken. This is about where his story begins to fall apart. Speculations about his story came like thunder when a surveillance video from the gates at the Olympic village of a group of cheery swimmers coming back including, and you guessed it, Ryan Lochte. Not a lot of people could still be celebrating in the same night that they have been held at gunpoint and robbed. Well then again, Lochte is no normal person. Remember he’s the same person that said “Whatever” when talking about a gun being put to his head. Well as it turns out apparently Lochte may not be as brave as we thought he was.
It turns out that instead of being the brave man who stood up to a robber, he was the man who drunkenly trashed a gas station. Actually when thinking about it the most outrageous part of his story ends up being the only true part. There were actually guns drawn; however, they were not put to anyone’s head. They were actually used to stop the drunken Olympians from leaving the scene of the crime. Brave Lochte knowing that he would eventually be caught by Rio authorities not necessarily fled, but just left for the United States thinking not of the others involved that had their passports taken and were pulled off their respective plane trips for their involvement. Brave Lochte, while safe in the United States, appeared on the “Today Show”. He sounded very scripted when he gave an apology, a very scripted apology but an apology nonetheless.
Lochte has never, and will never, be my favorite person. He’s always been cocky and brash but has never lived up to his expectations, with only one gold medal that did not come from him, but team swimming. Michael Phelps casts a huge shadow that Lochte can’t seem to find a way out of. Maybe he thought this could be the moment that held him away from the rest. This lie and continuation of his non-apologies has left me and other fans of Olympians hurt and hoping that other will not follow the path that he has trail blazed.
Lochte has since been charged by Brazilian authorities and will more than likely be fined rather than spend jail time; however, it is yet to be known when or if he will be shipped back to Brazil.
