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AmericanSwimmersPulledOffPlanein
Rio
BySIMONROMEROandMICHAELS.SCHMIDT AUG.17,2016

RIODEJANEIROTwoAmericanswimmerswerepulledofftheirflighttothe
UnitedStatesbytheBrazilianauthoritiesanddetainedforseveralhourson
Wednesdaynight,Olympicofficialssaid.Itwasthelatestindicationthatthepolice
wereskepticaloftheswimmersclaimsthattheyhadbeenheldupatgunpoint
duringtheRioGames.
WecanconfirmthatJackCongerandGunnarBentzwereremovedfromtheir
flighttotheUnitedStatesbyBrazilianauthorities,aspokesmanfortheUnited
StatesOlympicCommitteesaid.Wearegatheringfurtherinformation.
Themenwerereleasedafteragreeingtoremaininthecountryandtospeak
withinvestigatorsabouttheepisodeonThursday,accordingtoofficialswiththe
UnitedStatesOlympicteam.
Inacasethathasmadeheadlinesaroundtheworld,thegoldmedalistRyan
LochtesaidthatafterleavingapartyearlySunday,he,Mr.Conger,Mr.Bentzand
oneotherAmericanswimmerwererobbedbymenclaimingtobepoliceofficers.

Theideathatsuchprominentathletescouldberobbedbyofficersduringthe
OlympicswasahugeembarrassmentforBrazil,underscoringlongstandingconcerns
aboutholdingtheGamesinacrimeplaguedcitylikeRiodeJaneiro.
ButquestionsabouttheAmericanstestimonytothepoliceturnedthat
embarrassmentintoanger,withmanyBrazilianswonderingwhethertheathletes
hadliedabouttheepisodeandsmearedtheircountrysreputation.
InaconversationonWednesdaywithNBCsMattLauer,Mr.Lochtewhohas
alreadyreturnedtotheUnitedStateschangedcertaindetailsofhisaccount.After
previouslysayingthatanassailanthadputagunagainsthisforehead,hesaidthat
thegunhadbeenaimedinhisgeneraldirection.
Mr.Lochtehadalsopreviouslysaidthattheswimmershadbeenrobbedafterthe
menidentifyingthemselvesaspoliceofficerspulledovertheirtaxi.OnWednesday,
however,hetoldNBCthatthetaxihadstoppedatagasstationsotheycouldusethe
bathroom.
Mr.Lochtewentontosaythattheswimmershadbeenrobbeduponreturning
tothetaxi.Heascribedtheinconsistenciestotraumaticmischaracterization
causedbystress.Mr.LochteemphasizedtoMr.Lauerthatheconsideredhimselfas
avictim.
Theepisodehascreatedasignificanttestforthenewlycollaborative
relationshipbetweenAmericanandBrazilianlawenforcementofficials.Inthe
monthsleadinguptotheOlympics,thecountriesworkedcloselyastheytriedto
improveBrazilsabilitytothwartaterroristattack.ButonWednesdaynight,
AmericanofficialsseemedtobeinthedarkoverthedetentionofMr.Congerand
Mr.Bentz.
WehaveseenmediareportsthattwoU.S.citizenathletesweredetained,said
JohnKirby,aStateDepartmentspokesman.Westandreadytoprovideall
appropriateconsularassistance.
Hoursaftertheswimmerswereremovedfromtheplane,itwasunclearwhere
theywerebeingheld.WhenaskedifUnitedStatesOlympicofficialsknewwherethe

Americanswimmerswere,theU.S.O.C.spokesman,PatrickSandusky,said,Atthis
pointwearegatheringdetailsandhavenofurthercomment.
BrazilianlawenforcementofficialshavekeptAmericandiplomaticandlaw
enforcementofficialsatarmslengthastheyhavemovedforwardwiththeir
investigation,accordingtoseniorAmericanofficialswhospokeontheconditionof
anonymitybecausetheydidnotwanttobeidentifieddiscussingacontinuing
Brazilianinvestigation.
EarlierWednesday,aBrazilianjudgeissuedanordertopreventMr.Lochte,a
12timeOlympicmedalist,andJimmyFeigen,thefourthswimmerinvolved,from
leavingthecountryasdoubtsemergedabouttheirstatements.
Mr.SanduskydeclinedtocommentwhenaskedwhyUnitedStatesOlympics
officialshadallowedMr.CongerandMr.BentztoboardaplaneleavingBrazil
despitethecontinuinginvestigation.
AgentsfromBrazilsFederalPolice,aninvestigativeforcethatoverseesthe
countrysborders,detainedMr.CongerandMr.BentzatRiodeJaneirosmain
internationalairport,accordingtolocalnewsreports.InvestigatorsfromRios
TourismPolicehadaskedfortheirpassportstobeseizedsotheycouldbe
questioned.
Shortlyaftertheywereremovedfromtheplane,thetwomenwereshownonthe
Globotelevisionnetworkbeingescortedtoapolicestationintheairport.They
declinedtotalktoatelevisionreporterattheentrancetothestation.
Investigatorshavenotfoundevidencecorroboratingtheswimmersaccount,
accordingtolocalnewsreports,promptingthejudgesordertoseizetheirpassports.
Youcanseethesupposedvictimsarrivingwithoutsignsofbeingphysicallyor
psychologicallyshaken,evenjokingamongstthemselves,JudgeKeylaBlancde
Cnopsaidinastatement,referringtovideooftheswimmersreturningtothe
OlympicVillageaftertheparty.
TheBrazilianauthoritieshavecomeunderscrutinyafteranumberofarmed
assaultsduringtheGames,despitethedeploymentofan85,000membersecurity

forcetoeasefearsaboutviolentcrime.
Mr.Sanduskysaidthatthepolicehadlookedforthetwoswimmerson
Wednesday,butthattheathleteswerenolongerattheOlympicVillage.
Theswimteammovedoutofthevillageaftertheircompetitionended,sowe
werenotabletomaketheathletesavailable,Mr.Sanduskysaid.Headdedthatthe
OlympicCommitteessecurityprotocolpreventedhimfromconfirmingtheathletes
currentlocations.
Mr.Lochteslawyer,JeffOstrow,deniedassertionsthathisclientandtheother
swimmersmighthavefabricateddetailsoftheiraccounts,describingsuchclaimsas
effortsbyBrazilianofficialstodeflectcriticismofproblemsinRio.
Thecountryhasadarkcloudoveritforamillionandonereasons,fromtheir
economytotheircrimetotheirmanagementoftheOlympics,saidMr.Ostrow,who
isbasedinFortLauderdale,Fla.Myclienthascooperatedthoroughlywiththe
Brazilianauthoritiesandstandsbehindhisstatement.
Still,therewasgrowingspeculationinBrazilthattheepisodemightnothave
unfoldedastheswimmersdescribedit.
Mr.LochtetoldNBCsTodayshowthatmenhaddrawngunsandthatoneof
themhadtakenhismoneyandwallet,butlefthiscellphoneandcredentials.
HealsotoldUSATodaythattheswimmersdidnotinitiallytelltheUnited
StatesOlympicCommitteeaboutwhathadhappenedbecausewewereafraidwed
getintotrouble.
Mr.LochteandMr.FeigentoldBrazilianinvestigatorsthattheyleftthepartyat
ClubFrance,whichwassetuptopromotethecountryduringtheGames,around4
a.m.Sunday,accordingtolocalnewsreports.
Butvideocamerasshowedtheswimmersleavingtheclubat5:50a.m.,aboutan
hourbeforetheyarrivedattheOlympicVillageat6:56a.m.,accordingtoExtra,a
Rionewspaper.

ThereareotherpointsofconfusionintheaccountsbyMr.LochteandMr.
Feigen,theonlyswimmerswhoprovidedtestimonytoBrazilianinvestigators.
Themen,whosaidtheyhadbeenintoxicateduponleavingtheparty,saidthey
couldnotrememberthecolorofthetaxitheytook,orwhereexactlytheassaulthad
takenplace.Investigatorshavebeenunabletofindthetaxidriverwhodeliveredthe
swimmersbacktothevillage.
AprosecutorinRio,AndrBuonora,saidinastatementthattheswimmers
couldfacechargesofprovidingfalsetestimonyiftheyhadliedtoinvestigators.
Despitethecontroversy,itisnotuncommonforthepoliceinRiotobe
implicatedinarmedassaults.
ShortlybeforetheOlympics,JasonLee,ajujitsuchampionfromNewZealand,
saidthathehadbeenbrieflykidnappedbypoliceofficersandforcedtowithdraw
about$800fromhisbankaccount.
DespiteahistoryofsuchepisodesinRio,manyBrazilianshavegrowndefensive
overcriticismofthecity.SomelashedoutattheAmericanswimmers,contending
thattheywerehidingsomething.
SotheAmericanswimmerliedabouttherobbery?MarianaGodoy,a
televisionnewsannouncer,askedinaTwitterpost.SheimpliedthatLochtewas
tryingtocoverupsomethinguntoward.
HeleftonepartyandwenttoanotherpartyanddidntwanttotellMommy
aboutit?Ms.Godoywrote.
Correction:August17,2016
Anearlierversionofapicturecaptionwiththisarticlemisstatedthegivennameofan
Americanswimmer.HeisTownleyHaas,notTommy.
SimonRomeroreportedfromRiodeJaneiro,andMichaelS.Schmidtfrom
Washington.PaulaMouracontributedreportingfromRiodeJaneiro.
AversionofthisarticleappearsinprintonAugust18,2016,onpageB12oftheNewYorkeditionwiththe
headline:2SwimmersArePulledFromFlighttotheU.S.

2016TheNewYorkTimesCompany