Ryan Lochte says ‘immature behavior’ got him into a mess

Lochte kept repeating how “immature” his behavior had been and how sorry he was, and that he was trying to learn from his actions.

The first version during a phone interview where Lochte, 32, said: “We are victims here”.

In an interview with NBC’s Matt Lauer, the 12-time medalist said he is “taking full responsibility” for the incident. It was later revealed that the four were not robbed, but instead vandalized a gas station bathroom and got into a confrontation with a security guard, which ended with them paying an undisclosed sum for the damage. When Lauer asked what he felt when he saw that his teammates had been detained in Rio after he was safe at home, Lochte said he was “hurt”. The next day, Lochte gave his side of the story to NBC’s Billy Bush, saying that a gun was held to his head and money was demanded.

Lauer: “You were striking a deal …a negotiated settlement to cover up some dumb behavior”.

“It was my fault”, Lochte, who has also made a mea culpa on U.S. television, told Globo.

US gold medalist Ryan Lochte admitted to Brazil’s largest broadcaster Saturday night that he had exaggerated his story about being robbed at gunpoint in Rio – but insisted he did not lie.

Lochte originally claimed that the group had been confronted by men who showed them police badges, before one of them “pulled out his gun, he cocked it, put it to my forehead and said ‘get down.’ I was like (puts hands up) I put my hands up”.

Lochte had previously issued an apology on Friday before the interview with NBC was released. He said that he was still under the influence of alcohol when he talked to Bush. “I was intoxicated”, Lochte said. I’m embarrassed for myself, my family and especially those guys. “I know what I did was wrong”, he said. There is still more I want to accomplish.

The Associated Press reported on Sunday, August 21, that USOC CEO Scott Blackmun said disciplinary action against the athletes is on the way, but did not specify further. “I was like ‘whatever.’ He took our money, he took my wallet”. “I’m not making me being intoxicated like an excuse, I’m not doing that at all”, he said.

Lochte, who dyed his hair white for the Games and had it turn a light shade of green from the pool, had changed his hair back to its regular shade of brown for the interview, which was conducted in NY.

In the interview that aired Saturday night, Lauer pointed to those two interviews and how Lochte had not told “the whole truth”. For that, Lochte apologized to the people of Rio and Brazil. “My cameraman asked, ‘Is your son Ryan Lochte?’ To which she said, ‘Yes, he is'”.