US apologises for swimmers' 'unacceptable behaviour'

The US Olympic Committee has branded the actions of four of its swimmers caught up in a petrol station incident as "unacceptable".

Gold medallist Ryan Lochte and team mates James Feigen, Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger have been at the centre of controversy over their alleged false testimony in relation to vandalism at a gas station in Rio.

The quartet 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.

In a statement later that day, the US Olympic Committee (USOC) said Feigen had provided a "revised" testimony to Brazilian authorities.

On Wednesday, Bentz and Conger were prevented from boarding a flight back to the US as Brazilian police continued with their investigations.

Authorities allowed the pair to return to an airport in Rio Janeiro on Thursday.

While Lochte has already returned to the States, Feigen has provided a revised police statement in order to get his passport back, which had been confiscated by a judge.

USOC said it understood one of its athletes had committed "an act of vandalism".

The committee extended its apologies on behalf of the athletes.

Some Brazilian police officials recommended the swimmers be held to account, including the country's Presidential Chief.

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

USA Swimming said a thorough review of the incident would be undertaken, as per its code of conduct.