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Ryan Lochte: 'We were afraid we'd get in trouble'

Ryan Lochte told USA TODAY Sports on Tuesday that he initially did not tell the U.S. Olympic Committee that he and three other American swimmers were victims of a robbery early Sunday morning "because we were afraid we'd get in trouble."

<p><span class="cutline js-caption" style="display: block; color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 16px; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.74902);">Ryan Lochte did not medal in his only individual competition, finishing fifth in the 200 medley.</span><span class="credit" style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.74902);">(Photo: Rob Schumacher, USA TODAY Sports)</span></p>

Ryan Lochte told USA TODAY Sports on Tuesday that he initially did not tell the U.S. Olympic Committee that he and three other American swimmers were victims of a robbery early Sunday morning "because we were afraid we'd get in trouble."

Lochte's initial response appears to clear up early confusion by Olympic officials about whether Lochte and his teammates were robbed. A spokesman for the International Olympic Committee at first said Sunday that the reports of a robbery were not true and attributed the information to the U.S. Olympic Committee.

The four swimmers told USOC officials that they had been taking a taxi home early Sunday from France House when "their taxi was stopped by individuals posing as armed police officers who demanded the athletes’ money and other personal belongings," according to a USOC statement.

It was many hours before Lochte met with U.S. authorities, according to Jeff Ostrow, Lochte's attorney. Ostrow told USA TODAY Sports on Tuesday that Lochte met with representatives from the State Department, FBI, Tourist Police and the USOC's security team at about 7:30 p.m. Sunday night. It was Lochte's first interaction with police and he gave his statement with Ostrow on the phone.

Ostrow said Lochte cooperated fully with authorities. The meeting was held Sunday night because it was the earliest they could get all parties together, he said.

"I know that Ryan didn't want this to turn into what it did," Ostrow said. "The Olympics are more important and Team USA's performances are more important."

Brazilian authorities denied requests by USA TODAY Sports on Tuesday for a copy of an incident report.

Ostrow said the incident had become a "media circus" considering robberies are commonplace in this city. Ostrow hired private security for Lochte for his remaining time in Rio. The swimmer cut his stay short and arrived back in the United States on Tuesday.

When the IOC was asked Sunday morning at a news conference about a robbery involving the U.S. swimmers, a spokesman said it was not true. The swimmers had been out on the town after the final night of the swimming competition at the Rio Olympics. Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger and Jimmy Feigen were the others with Lochte.

IOC spokesman Mark Adams on Tuesday offered more detail about the chain of events, telling USA TODAY Sports that the committee had reached out to USOC officials upon hearing about an alleged robbery, but that USOC officials subsequently responded they had spoken with Lochte and been told there had been no incident. Adams said that information came from USOC spokesman Mark Jones.

Asked about the matter on Tuesday, Jones told USA TODAY Sports that "we were working with the information we had."

All four swimmers were unharmed, though Lochte's mother, Ileana Lochte, told USA TODAY Sports on Sunday morning that they were shaken up from the incident. Later that day, Lochte described the incident to NBC:

"We got pulled over, in the taxi, and these guys came out with a badge, a police badge, no lights, no nothing just a police badge and they pulled us over," Lochte said. "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."

Contributing: Josh Peter, Christine Brennan, Taylor Barnes in Rio.

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