USA Olympian Ryan Lochte will seek treatment for alcohol addiction, following a reported drunken incident at a Los Angeles area hotel Thursday morning, according to statement from his lawyer reported by TMZ.
Lochte’s lawyer, Jeff Ostrow, told TMZ Sports that “Ryan has been battling from alcohol addiction for many years and unfortunately it has become a destructive pattern for him…He has acknowledged that he needs professional assistance to overcome his problem and will be getting help immediately.”
Lochte has a child and was recently married, something Ostrow reference as well.
“Ryan knows that conquering this disease now is a must for him to avoid making future poor decisions, to be the best husband and father he can be, and if he wants to achieve his goal to return to dominance in the pool in his 5th Olympics in Tokyo in 2020.”
TMZ reports that around 3AM on Thursday, security had to be called as Lochte was allegedly attempting to kick down his own hotel room door. No arrests were made.
The 34 year-old Lochte is currently serving a 14-month suspension due to receiving an IV infusion greater than the allowed limit. That suspension will expire in July of 2019. Assuming there are not further incidents, Lochte will still be eligible to compete at the 2020 USA Olympic Trials, where he will be attempting to make his fifth Olympic team.
This isn’t the first time Lochte has made headlines due to incidents involving alcohol. He and three other US swimmers were the center of an incident at a Rio gas station following the racing events at 2016 Summer Olympics. Lochte later admitted to suffering from depression in the wake of that incident.
at what point is enough enough and ryan just hangs up the goggles? the NBC spotlight in 2020 is basically writing itself at this point.
That was a quick rehab. He posted yesterday on instagram smiling with his wife from a football game.
I would think it would take time to get an opening at an in-patient rehab, if that is indeed what he means to do. If that is the case, it makes a lot of sense to spend quality time with family in the mean time.
Maybe so, but this rehab announcement strikes me as public relations spin to help rehabilitate his brand.
It doesn’t have to be inpatient. Phelps had another issue; jail time if he could not furnish the court with a rehab report.
I want set night club ban until 2020. He can not doing night club.
Alcohol addiction was 2015 -2016
I’m so shocked………. 🙄
Perhaps it is just coincidental, but depression and anxiety disorders (and related problems like substance abuse and eating disorders) just seem to hit elite swimmers hugely disproportionately. Just off the top of my head, Phelps, Lochte, Thorpe, Hacket, Franklin, Ervin, Schmidt ,and Beard all struggled them. I wish FINA or USA Swimming would like into this.
Wow, I had a lot of typos in that post. Sorry…
Maybe he’s sick and tired of being sick and tired.
How on earth can he have an alcohol addiction for many years and still be a world class swimmer? I know this is a serious problem but I in awe of his gifts.
Oh, and his suspension is nonsense! That is all.
He’s not above the rules.