Ryan Lochte responded to Rio robbers in the most Ryan Lochte way possible
It takes quite a bit to get under Ryan Lochte’s skin. You’d think someone holding a gun to his head would elicit an emotion resembling fear, panic … maybe terror?
But, in true Lochte fashion, he just rolled with it.
Lochte and three other U.S. swimmers confirmed that they were robbed at gun point early Sunday morning in Rio de Janeiro. According to a statement by the United States Olympic Committee, a taxi carrying the four Olympians was stopped by individuals posing as police officers, who then demanded the athletes’ money and personal belongings.
Lochte described the event to NBC’s Billy Bush:
“They pulled out their guns, they told the other swimmers to get down on the ground — they got down on the ground. I refused, I was like we didn’t do anything wrong, so — I’m not getting down on the ground. And then the guy pulled out his gun, he cocked it, put it to my forehead and he said, ‘Get down,’ and I put my hands up, I was like ‘whatever.’ He took our money, he took my wallet — he left my cell phone, he left my credentials.”
So with a gun pointed to his head with a man demanding his money, Lochte’s response was, “whatever.”
That’s just too perfect.
While it was no doubt a scary moment for the swimmers, fortunately nobody was harmed in the incident.
Lochte won just a single medal in Rio — a gold in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay — and has won 12 Olympic medals in his career.
The 32-year-old had announced that this would be his final Olympics, but has continually hinted — and outright stated — that he wants to compete in Tokyo in 2020.