IOC denies that Ryan Lochte was held up at gunpoint in Rio

Confusion has broken out in the American Olympic camp after claims that Ryan Lochte has been a victim has gun crime at the Rio Olympic Games.

The IOC has denied reports that Olympic gold medalist Ryan Lochte was held up at gunpoint in the early hours of Sunday Morning after allegations from his mother.

Lochte, who was part of the gold medal-winning 4x200m relay Swimming team, was traveling with other unnamed athletes to meet Brazilian swimmer Thiago Pereira. According to Lochte’s mother Ileana, the incident occurred when the taxi they were traveling in stopped to refuel. Whilst stationary at the gas station, the car was approached by a group of people carrying guns and knives.

“I think they’re all shaken up. There were a few of them,” Ileana Lochte told USA Today.
“No, they were just, they just took their wallets and basically that was it.”

Mrs. Lochte said that there was no physical damage caused to the 12-time Olympic medalist, however, she did confirm that her son was robbed.

In a bizarre twist, these claims has been dismissed by the International Olympic Federation (IOC). A spokesman has told the press association that the reports are untrue.

The alleged incident is currently being investigated by officials in Rio. A spokesman for the Games, Mario Andrada, confirmed that they have been notified about the report and they are waiting for information from the United States Olympic Committee.

“We just had a quick report that there was an issue with [Lochte] but we didn’t have the detail that he was held at gunpoint,” said Andrada. “We are waiting for more information. We will give an update as soon as we have one from security and from USOC [United States Olympic Committee].”

The muted response from the IOC has fueled speculation that they may be trying to cover up the incident in order to protect the image of the Games. Within the past week multiple athletes have fallen victim to crime.  Leading up to the start of the event, the Australian delegation has their laptops stolen whilst they evacuated their accommodation due to a fire alarm. More recently, an Olympic village employee was arrested after an unnamed athlete had $20,000 stolen from them.

Crimes such as robbery and Burglary are extremely common in Rio, especially in the poorer areas of the city. According to the Brazilian Institute of Public Safety, there was 98,038 reported cases of this try of crime in the first half of 2016.

It wouldn’t be the first time that Rio organizers have tried to hide something that could damage their reputation. In a country that is struggling with political and economic uncertainty, they have been trying to silence the array of protesters burning flags on the streets of the city.

Lochte’s scenario may not be a masterful cover up, but we may never know. If the 12-time Olympic champion was held at gunpoint, it can be guaranteed that the Rio delegation will be prepared to do anything to prevent any potential controversy overshadowing their sporting spectacular.

Sometimes a country’s image in the world community takes precedent over the truth.