Aside from formal statements by Chuck Wielgus and the United States Olympic Committee, on a public level USA Swimming and the Olympic coaching staff has been relatively quiet concerning the drunken gas station incident that occurred in Rio with American swimmers Ryan Lochte, Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger and Jimmy Feigen.
The incident resulted in the Brazilian police getting involved and Feigen paying approximately $11,000 to return to the U.S. All Americans are home safely and have since issued their own apologetic accounts of the situation. Since the incident, however, Lochte has lost four major sponsors, including Speedo, with whom the former Gator has had a business relationship for the better part of a decade.
Now, Lochte’s coach from SwimMAC Elite, as well as the overall U.S. Olympics Head Coach for the women’s team, David Marsh, has offered up his take on the now notorious situation.
As far as when Marsh and Lochte were able to communicate, Marsh is quoted as saying, “My advice immediately was, ‘Tell the whole truth and be very sorry about it.’ That’s just we way we operate at SwimMAC. That’s the way I operate.” (Auburn.247sports)
“He could have avoided a lot of the problems had he just done the right thing right away. I know he feels terrible about it, and I feel for him. Unfortunately I don’t think the end is finished yet.”
“I think a guy like him forgets that even though he’s been able to kind of thrive in the limelight, when you represent the United States of America and you’re not telling your mom the truth, you’re not telling the media the truth, you’re not telling America the truth, they don’t like that,” Marsh said.
“I hope he can figure out how to navigate out of this. There’ll be some more penalties. He’s had a bunch of sponsors already drop him. I’m sure that things have not ended yet. It’s going to be a very tough and very expensive lesson for him.” (Auburn.247sports)
“I think the gas station incident will be part of the Olympic story,” said Marsh, “which is a sad thing for how great an event it was for the USA swimmers.”
Even before the highly publicized incident, Lochte had announced plans to move his training base to California, although a specific club wasn’t yet mentioned. He anticipated taking a break from swimming immediately after Rio, which reports now indicate may include a stint on the ABC reality show, ‘Dancing With The Stars’.
What a strange thing for Marsh to say.
What ever Marsh said, he always think about himself.
Has anyone considered the perspective that Lochte’s antics did not endanger anyones life other than perhaps his own. The police were not entirely honest either as to the reported vandilism. Is that not lying or embellishment? MP’s decision to get into a car DUI most certainly put other peoples lives in danger. Why is it then that MP faced less critiscism for a more egregious error of judgement.
Yo, I don’t think the end is finished yet. Totally Kafkaesque.
It took a big jolt of major trouble for Phelps to finally figure it out and grow up. I’m hopeful this deeply embarrassing event can effect the same positive change for Lochte. Alcohol was the major issue for Phelps and seems to be an obvious problem for Lochte as well. Getting drunk is fun – until it ruins your life.
Not sure Ryan will get it – especially with all of the enablers telling him “You did nothing wrong, Ryan! You were the victim here! Yeah, you peed in a bad spot and tore some paper, but you’ve been traumatized!”
Lochte just needs to hang in there until September 2nd. Brock Turner will be released that day and he will divert a lot of the heat as the social media trolls descend upon him and the justice system.
The Speedo contract with Lochte was expiring. Wonder if they used this as an excuse to drop him. Maybe I’m being too cynical.
I have a general question that has been bugging me about this whole fiasco. Does anyone understand the oversight and management structure of the USA swim team? I’m so confused about what actual oversight the coaches have or don’t have in regards to the athletes. Once swimming ended on Saturday night, did the coaches basically wash their hands of the team and go off to do their own thing (college coaches to head home and others to hang with their own families)?
Then some administrator from USA Swimming and USOC take over in terms of tracking athletes, flights home, etc? Especially for those swimmers under age 21?
I guess I had assumed all along that the 4 swimmers… Read more »
Hopefully, Ryan will start “The Ryan Lochte Center for Kids Who Can’t Read Good and Who Wanna Learn to Do Other Stuff Good Too” and win us all back over.
But… The building is too small!
He could totally play zoolanders character.. MerMAN….