In an interview with NBC, U.S. swimmer Ryan Lochte has reportedly changed details of his account of being robbed at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
In a phone interview with Matt Lauer on Wednesday, Mr. Lochte, according to the NBC reporter, no longer says that a gun was put to his head during the robbery and he changed some other details from the initial complaints.
NBC aired no footage or tape of the interview, instead letting Mr. Lauer expound on what was said, during a segment with Olympics host Bob Costas.
Mr. Lochte’s claim of being robbed is being viewed with skepticism by Brazilian authorities, who detained three of his teammates Wednesday to prevent them from leaving the country.
Mr. Lauer said the swimmer now says the gun was “pointed in his direction” rather than pressed against his forehead and also changed claims that the cab he and the three other swimmers were riding in was pulled over and ambushed.
Instead, Mr. Lochte told Mr. Lauer that the swimmers were attacked after stopping to use the rest room at a gas station. When the taxi drivers refused to leave, that was when two men with guns came upon them.
SEE ALSO: Jack Conger and Gunnar Bentz, U.S. swimmers, blocked from boarding flight home from Rio
According to Mr. Lauer, Mr. Lochte attributed the differences to “traumatic mischaracterization.”
While victims often change minor details in accounts of the crimes against them, Brazilian authorities don’t believe that any robbery took place and are investigating the four swimmers for filing a false report.
Mr. Lochte stoutly maintained in the interview that the robbery took place though and said that when Brazilian officials took his report, they showed no skepticism or disbelief. Mr. Lauer said Mr. Lochte used the words “casual” and “friendly” to characterize police while taking his victimization report and added that they “didn’t ask him a lot of questions.”
“Never did they question his truthfulness,” Mr. Lauer said he was told by the swimmer.
Mr. Lochte is back in the U.S., but Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger and James Feigen are still in Brazil and are banned from leaving the country.
• Victor Morton can be reached at vmorton@washingtontimes.com.
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