USA Swimming does not allow its athletes to leave Olympic village until it’s time to compete, six-time gold medalist Ryan Lochte has revealed on social media.
The legendary American swimmer was responding to fan questions alongside his wife, Kayla, when one TikTok user asked why some athletes are free to roam a host city, while others are tethered to the area surrounding the Olympic dormitories.
‘What do you mean you are not allowed to leave the Olympic Village? I see all kinds of Olympic athletes leaving the Village,’ one fan remarked.
‘Not USA swimmers,’ the 40-year-old Lochte said.
Kayla then asked the obvious question: Why?
‘Because that’s the rule for USA swimmers,’ Lochte replied.
USA Swimming does not allow its athletes to leave Olympic village, Ryan Lochte says
United States Delegation’s residence at the Olympic Village is adorned with national flags
That answer (or non-answer) neglected to give any reasoning behind the purported rule, and USA Swimming spokespeople did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com’s request for clarification.
USA Swimming was specifically asked by DailyMail.com if the rule stems from Lochte’s infamous late-night incident with teammates at the 2016 Rio Olympics, when he falsely claimed to be robbed at gunpoint after hours of drinking.
Kayla asked her husband if Team USA has ‘stricter rules,’ to which Lochte offered an immediate ‘yes.’
She followed by asking if swimmers can leave ‘for certain things,’ but her husband shook her off.
‘Nope,’ he said, adding that swimmers need coaches’ signatures to see family in the host city.
Paige Madden (L) congratulates Katie Ledecky (R) on winning the Women 800m Freestyle final
A 12-time Olympic medalist, Lochte was understandably overshadowed during his career by his rival, 28-time Olympic medalist Michael Phelps.
And Lochte’s reputation has suffered in the last eight years.
First he ignited international controversy by claiming he and three teammates were robbed at gunpoint after a drunken night out during the 2016 Rio Games.
Later it was revealed that the armed men turned were actually security guards and several details of Lochte’s story proved to be fabricated. He was ultimately charged with submitting a false report to police, but charges were later dismissed after he apologized.
Two years later, the US Anti-Doping agency banned Lochte for 14 months due to his use of a prohibited IV infusion – something that Lochte, himself, revealed in a social media post, which he deleted soon thereafter.
In total, Lochte faced 24 months of suspensions and has since retired following a brief return to the sport in 2021.
