USA Swimming and the US Olympic Committee (USOC) have banned swimmer Ryan Lochte from the sport for 10 months after falsely claiming he was robbed at gunpoint during the Rio Olympic Games.
The 32-year-old said he and three team-mates who were also banned were held up at a petrol station during a night out.
But police questioned the account after CCTV footage showed the group had vandalised the petrol station.
The behaviour of these athletes was not acceptable
Gunnar Bentz, Jimmy Feigen and Jack Conger have each been suspended for four months.
The sanctions were handed down for breaches of each organisation’s code of conduct.
“The behaviour of these athletes was not acceptable,” said Scott Blackmun, CEO of USOC. “It unfairly maligned our hosts and diverted attention away from the historic achievements of Team USA.”
Lochte’s punishment means he will not be able to qualify for the 2017 World Championships.
The six-time Olympic gold medallist admitted he had “over-exaggerated” his original account.
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