Ryan Lochte says ‘Whatever’ to being held up at gunpoint
By Matt Couden
Team USA swimmer Ryan Lochte recently talked about being robbed at gunpoint in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday morning.
Superstar swimmer Ryan Lochte and four members of the United States Olympics team were robbed at gunpoint in Rio de Janeiro. Lochte’s reaction to being held up at gunpoint was rather nonchalant throughout the incident.
According to USA Today, Lochte talked about being pulled over in the taxi cab by someone carrying a police badge. He mentions that all the swimmers were told to get out of the car and get down on the ground. Lochte initially refused that directive and once the gunman was threatening him more, he submitted to the demand.
At first, it appeared like they were being stopped by police and Lochte had felt they’d done nothing wrong. However, he determined that it was a good idea to comply. Lochte told the media in his recollection of the story, “And then the guy pulled out his gun, he cocked it, put it to my forehead and he said, ‘Get down,’ and I put my hands up, I was like ‘whatever.’ He took our money, he took my wallet — he left my cell phone, he left my credentials.”
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Lochte will appear in a televised interview on NBC on Monday’s Today Show in which he’ll discuss details of the incident as well as the Olympics. His mother indicated to USA Today that all of the swimmers were “shaken up” by the event.
For most individuals, having a gunman near them would be rather terrifying, whether it appeared to be legitimate or not. However, Lochte has that relatively carefree attitude which can be good or bad, depending on one’s viewpoint. That said, it’s good that Lochte and his teammates were able to escape with no serious harm from the incident.