Sponsors drop disgraced swimmer

Four sponsors have dropped disgraced US Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte, including swimwear manufacturer Speedo and fashion label Ralph Lauren.

They were followed by announcements from skin care firm Syneron-Candela and Japanese mattress maker Airweave.

Speedo USA was first to announce it is dropping the swimmer over a drunken incident during the Olympics that he initially described as an armed robbery. In a brief statement, Speedo USA said it would donate £38,000 of Lochte’s fee to Save The Children to benefit needy youngsters in Brazil. At first, Lochte said he and three swimming team-mates were robbed after their taxi was pulled over by armed men posing as police the night after the swimming competition ended in Rio de Janeiro.

He has since apologised for embellishing his version of events.

The swimsuit giant said: “While we have enjoyed a winning relationship with Ryan for over a decade and he has been an important member of the Speedo team, we cannot condone behaviour that is counter to the values this brand has long stood for.”

Being dropped by sponsors is not likely to be the only sanction Lochte faces over a night of partying that ended up tarnishing the reputation of the American team. Both the US Olympic Committee and USA Swimming have indicated Lochte will be punished, perhaps endangering the 32-year-old’s hopes of competing in a fifth Olympics at Tokyo in 2020.

The trouble began when media reports emerged on August 14 that Lochte and three other US swimmers were robbed at gunpoint when their cab was pulled over by men posing as police. He went on to say he was robbed of money and his wallet.

That version quickly unravelled when police said the swimmers never reported the incident and there was scant evidence of a robbery. In his most recent interview Lochte said: “I over-exaggerated the

story.”