Lochte to be suspended from swimming

After a night of partying following the conclusion of the swimming events at the Olympics, Lochte claimed that he and the three other swimmers were held at gunpoint and robbed of their money at a gas station.

Brazilian police said no such crime took place and that Lochte was in fact responsible for vandalising a petrol station as he came home drunk from a party.

Lochte will also not compete in the 2017 FINA World Championships, and he will forfeit all of his medal funding to the USOC and USA Swimming that he earned for his gold medal at this Olympics.

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.

The four swimmers will not receive a monthly stipend during their suspensions and are barred from accessing U.S. Olympic Committee training centers and other facilities.

The 10-month suspension is expected to be longer than his colleagues James Feigen, Jack Conger and Gunnar Bentz.

USOC chief executive Scott Blackmun said: “The behaviour of these athletes was not acceptable”.

TMZ Sports have stated the punishment was made not just by the USOC, but by the International Olympic Committee and USA Swimming.

The suspension prevents Lochte, who trains in North Carolina, from competing in any USA Swimming national or worldwide meets through June 30, 2017.

Bentz, Conger and Feigen received four-month suspensions and remain eligible for world championships.

Lochte, 32, has been suspended until mid-2017 the USA Today newspaper reported citing a person with knowledge of the situation. Each swimmer issued an apology shortly after Brazilian police called the robbery claim a “fabrication” on August 18.

Lochte, a 12-time Olympic medalist, lost high-profile sponsorships with Speedo USA and Ralph Lauren in the wake of the scandal. At least one of them got a 4-month suspension. Lochte is now busy training for Dancing with the Stars, with the season premiere Monday.

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 conduct.