The twelve-time Olympian medalist, Ryan Lochte, has officially lost his top four commercial sponsors this Monday after him and his teammates falsified an armed robbed incident almost over a week ago.
Speedo, Ralph Lauren, Gentle Hair Removal, and even Airweave, whom previously stood by the athlete while he was under speculation by the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC), all have dropped him from their brand. All four sponsors came to an agreement to drop Lochte after he admitted on TV that he “over exaggerated” the armed robbery incident.
Lochte, who is being reviewed under the USOC for possible punishments, has commented that even with all the negativity surrounding him, he still wants to continue his career as a swimmer. Although the athlete assumes that after his lack of honesty, the USOC could possibly sanction him from attending the next Summer Olympics as one of his possible punishments. He continued to comment that no matter how long the USOC might suspend him, he plans on getting back into the water and continue on his training for the next Olympic games.
After vandalizing the Rio gas station, Lochte and his other swim mates, where told by an armed security guard to pay for the damages to the store before they were allowed to leave. Lochte still claims that there was a gun pointed to him and his teammates, even though he might have “exaggerated” his experience.
Speedo representatives have claimed that although they have enjoyed their winning relationship with Lochte, that they do not condone his behavior. They also commented that they refuse to have Lochte represent their brand after he admitted his own dishonesty and hopes he can learn from his mistakes.
Speedo also plans to keep their previous promise to Lochte to donate $50,000 to his Save the Children charity, which they hope will be donated to young children in Brazil.
Surprisingly, Ryan Lochte response was of positivity for the swimsuit company, saying that he is grateful for the opportunities and partnership the company provided for him during his swimming career. He also said that even through these difficult times, he is proud of the accomplishments they helped him acquire throughout his ten-year contract.
