It has been three years sinceRyan Lochte‘s false claims of a robbery during the2016 Summer Olympicsin Rio de Janeiro made headlines, but he won’t forget the fallout anytime soon.
In a candid sit-down withTodayshow co-anchorCraig Melvinthat aired on Wednesday, the professional swimmer, now 35, recalled the “hard” aftermath of the incident that saw him receive a 10-month suspension from the sport after being charged with falsely communicating a crime.
“It got to points where I would wake up crying and I was like, ‘Man, I wish I could just disappear — go on a remote island and just not see anyone,’ ” Lochte told Melvin, 40.
Lochte initially said he and three other members of the United States swim team were robbed at gunpoint at a Shell gas station while returning to the Olympic Village. He later admittedthat he still wasn’t sure what really happenedthe night of the incident. The Rio police held a news conference a few days later and said the swimmers had vandalized the restroom in the service station.
Lochte apologized following the 2016 interview, posting a message to his Instagram in response to his claim that he and teammates James Feigen, Jack Conger and Gunnar Bentz were held at gunpoint during a night out.
“I want to apologize for my behavior last weekend — for not being more careful and candid in how I described the events of that early morning and for my role in taking the focus away from the many athletes fulfilling their dreamsof participating in the Olympics,” the apology read, in part. “I waited to share these thoughts until it was confirmed that the legal situation was addressed and it was clear that my teammates would be arriving home safely.”
“It’s traumatic to be out late with your friends in a foreign country — with a language barrier — and have a stranger point a gun at you and demand money to let you leave, but regardless of the behavior of anyone else that night, I should have been much more responsible in how I handled myselfand for that I am sorry to my teammates, my fans, my fellow competitors, my sponsors, and the hosts of this great event,” he added.
In July 2017, the six-time Olympic gold medalist was cleared of all charges surrounding the incident, with the court deciding that Lochte hadn’t broken the law because Rio police instigated the investigation, not the swimmer.
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RELATED VIDEO: Ryan Lochte Cleared of All Charges from 2016 Incident in Rio
More recently, Lochte returned to competitive swimming for thefirst time following a 14-month banfor posting a photo showing himself receiving an IV infusion, and opened up about hisdecision to seek alcohol treatmentin Florida last year for about six weeks. The athlete now has his eyes set on the2020 Summer Olympicsin Tokyo.
“About a year ago,” he told Melvin after the host asked when he realized he had an issue with alcohol. “[I knew] if I was to keepgoing down this destructive paththat I was going to end up … something tragic. I checked myself into rehab. I don’t care to go out and party, to be the loud one anymore.”
Today, Lochte is a father of two, sharing daughterLiv Rae, 4 months, and sonCaiden Zane, 2, with wifeKayla Rae Reid. And parenthood is everything he could ever want, even though “training kind of started slipping away” after Liv’s birth this past June — and heswam in the nationals competitionthis past August at “22 lbs. overweight.”
“I went to fast food, and I started eating just everything,” hetold Melvin on Wednesday. “Since then, I’ve lost 17 lbs. My swimming, my times that I’m doing in practice, are things that I’ve seen back when I was at my peak in 2012.”
As for deciding not to throw in the towel after his 2016 glory and subsequent controversy? “That’s not me — I want more,” Lochte added with a laugh. “I also want to show my kids that no matter what, no matter how many times you get knocked down, youcan get up and you can keep fighting.”
source: people.com
