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Lochte apologizes for Rio robbery fiasco

Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports

Ryan Lochte broke his silence Friday, releasing a statement apologizing for his actions after Brazilian police said Thursday that he'd fabricated a story about being robbed in Sunday's early morning hours at a Rio gas station.

The 12-time Olympic medalist was one of a group of four U.S. swimmers who initially said they'd been robbed at gunpoint by robbers posing as police.

Lochte's story was immediately disputed by Brazilian authorities, and he appeared to change some of the account's details Wednesday. The 32-year-old returned to the United States on Monday, while his other three teammates were left to answer further questions from the Rio police. Two of them were taken off a plane and prevented from leaving the country.

Brazilian police say their investigation revealed the swimmers vandalized a gas station, and armed security guards forced them to pay for the damages.

With all the swimmers now free to leave Brazil and return to the U.S., Lochte stated that he felt it was time to apologize for his actions. Whether this event affects his status for future United States swimming events remains to be seen.

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