Ryan Lochte turned to Instagram on Friday to issue an apology.
"I want to apologize for my behavior last weekend – for not being more careful and candid in how I described the events of that early morning and for my role in taking the focus away from the many athletes fulfilling their dreams of participating in the Olympics," Lochte said in the statement posted on his Instagram page. "I waited to share these thoughts until it was confirmed that the legal situation was addressed and it was clear that my teammates would be arriving home safely."
After an incident at a gas station in Brazil last weekend, Lochte told Billy Bush of "Today" and Access Hollywood an account that has since been disputed by local authorities.
A photo posted by Ryanlochte (@ryanlochte) on Aug 19, 2016 at 7:11am PDT
"We got pulled over in our taxi, and these guys came out with a badge – a police badge – no lights, no nothing, just a police badge. They pulled us over, they pulled out their guns," he told Bush last weekend.
"They told the other swimmers to get down on the ground, they got down 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, he said, 'Get down,' and I was like -- I put my hands up, I was like, 'Whatever,'" Lochte told Bush at the time, adding that one of the men took their money and his wallet.
On Thursday, Rio's police chief, Fernando Veloso, said there was no robbery.
"Right now, as we speak, what the police can affirm — there was no robbery the way it was reported or claimed by the athletes," Veloso said during a news conference (in Portuguese), according to NBC News. "They were not victims of the criminal actions that they claimed they were."
In addition, on Thursday, Globo released surveillance video footage from the gas station that appeared to undercut the version of events Lochte told Bush.
In his statement on Friday, Lochte continued his apology, but didn't appear to address the specifics of the version of events he previously shared with Bush.
Ryan Lochte of the United States attends a press conference in the Main Press Center on Day 7 of the Rio Olympics on August 12, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (Getty Images)
"It's traumatic to be out late with your friends in a foreign country – with a language barrier – and have a stranger point a gun at you and demand money to let you leave, but regardless of the behavior of anyone else that night, I should have been much more responsible in how I handled myself and for that [I] am sorry to my teammates, my fans, my fellow competitors, my sponsors and the hosts of this great event," his statement continued. "I am very proud to represent my country in Olympic competition and this was a situation that could and should have been avoided. I accept responsibility for my role in this happening and have learned some valuable lessons.
"I am grateful for my USA Swimming teammates and the USOC, and appreciate all of the efforts of the IOC, the Rio '16 Host Committee, and the people of Brazil who welcomed us to Rio and worked so hard to make sure that these Olympic Games provided a lifetime of great new memories," his statement continued.
He concluded his statement by attempting to draw attention back to the Olympic Games.
"There has already been too much said and too many valuable resources dedicated to what happened last weekend, so I hope we spend our time celebrating the great stories and performances of these Games and look ahead to celebrating future successes," his post concluded.
