US swimmers could be charged over Rio petrol station incident

  • Video report by ITV News Correspondent John Ray

A group of U.S. Olympic swimmers could "in theory" be charged with giving false testimony and vandalism over an incident at a petrol station in Rio de Janeiro, a police chief has said.

Ryan Lochte and three of his team-mates initially claimed they had been robbed by gunmen impersonating police officers, as they returned to the Athletes' Village in a taxi from a party last weekend.

But on Thursday authorities said they believed the Olympians had made up the story, as CCTV instead showed them causing damage at the petrol station.

"There was no robbery as the swimmers described it," civil police chief Fernando Veloso told a news conference.

The swimmers have offered to pay some money for the damage.

Gold medallist Lochte, one of swimming's most decorated Olympians, returned to the U.S. on Monday, but authorities stopped Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger from leaving the country at the airport on Wednesday.

Earlier on Thursday, the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) said Bentz and Conger, along with team-mate James Feigen, are helping police with their investigation.

Bentz and Conger were allowed to return to Rio airport after question on Thursday.

Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger were stopped from leaving Rio on Wednesday. Credit: Reuters
James Feigen had a reservation for the same flight as Bentz and Conger but officials could not find him. Credit: Reuters

Rio games organisers defended their actions, saying they were just kids who were having fun and made a mistake.

"These kids tried to have fun, they tried to represent their country to the best of their abilities," Rio 2016 spokesman Mario Andrada told reporters.

"They competed under gigantic pressure. Let's give these kids a break. Sometime you take actions that you later regret. They had fun, they made a mistake, life goes on."

The swimmers were caught on CCTV during the so-called robbery.

However, Brazil's Presidential Chief of Staff Eliseu Padliha said the swimmers had lied to police and should be held accountable.