Rio Olympics: Ryan Lochte, Jimmy Feigen indicted for false crime report

What people are already calling #LochteGate has taken another turn, one that doesn’t look good for the Team USA swimmer.

If Ryan Lochte doesn’t already think back fondly to the time when the only negative memory people would have of him from the 2016 Rio Olympics was getting outclassed by friend/teammate/rival Michael Phelps in what as billed as their final showdown, he probably will soon.

Lochte has found himself at the center of a bizarre story that just keeps taking more twists as it goes. First, Lochte and three teammates said they were robbed at gunpoint while on their way back from a party. They stuck by that story even when some doubts were cast upon it.

And just when it appeared that might be what actually happened, a different narrative emerged: Maybe instead of being robbed, the men actually got into a fight at a gas station, did some damage to it, and made up the robbery story to cover their tracks.

That most recent take is what Brazilian authorities believe, as news outlet Globo (as reported by Sports Illustrated), says that Ryan Lochte and fellow Team USA swimmer Jimmy Feigen have now been indicted for false reporting of a crime.

Though Lochte has already returned to the United States after the swimming portion of the Games ended (and perhaps to get out of Dodge given the heat coming his way), it appears he’ll now have to answer for a few things. Specifically, why he stuck to his guns (pun not intended) about getting robbed when questioned about it repeatedly. And convinced his dad do the same.

At 32, Lochte’s career at the top level of swimming was likely coming to an end anyway, though he mused that he might still be back. Depending on how this story shakes out — and at this point, it wouldn’t be wise to bet against a few more twists — maybe he should just backstroke into the sunset.

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