Ryan Lochte apologises for his behaviour during Rio Olympics

The apology came after Brazilian police said there was no evidence the US swimmers were robbed and recommended that the competitors face charges

CCTV footage from the scene appears to contradict Ryan Lochte’s story

Ryan Lochte, the disgraced American swimmer, has apologised for his behaviour and for not being more honest in how he described what happened during an early morning ruckus at a Brazilian service station.

In a post on Instagram, he said: I want to apologise for my behaviour 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."

It comes hours after American Olympic authorities have sought to draw a line under the "Rio robbery" controversy, issuing an apology to Brazil and arranging for one of the swimmers involved to make a $10,800 (£8,259) payment by means of reparations.

Hours after police in Rio accused Lochte and his fellow swimmers Jack Conger, Gunnar Bentz and Jimmy Feigen of fabricating a claim that they were robbed by police, two of the athletes were on their way home to the US, while a third was due to leave Brazil on Friday. Mr Lochte returned home earlier in the week.

As the US sought to defuse what has turned into a huge diplomatic embarrassment, American officials said the men’s behaviour was not acceptable.

“The behaviour of these athletes is not acceptable, nor does it represent the values of Team USA or the conduct of the vast majority of its members,” Scott Blackmun, chief executive of the United States Olympic Committee, said in a statement.

“We will further review the matter, and any potential consequences for the athletes, when we return to the United States. On behalf of the United States Olympic Committee, we apologise to our hosts in Rio and the people of Brazil for this distracting ordeal in the midst of what should rightly be a celebration of excellence.”

Ryan Lochte told US media that he and three teammates were the victims of an armed robbery (Getty)

The furore began last weekend when Mr Lochte, a gold medallist, claimed that he and the other swimmers had been robbed at gun point after a night out to celebrate the last night of the swimming events. He then left Brazil to return to the US.

But Brazilian police obtained CCTV footage and interviewed witnesses to allow them to put together a different narrative. They said they men had made up the claim after they vandalised a lavatory in a fuel station and urinated on a wall. An armed guard secured $50 in partial payment for the damage before the men left.

“No robbery was committed against these athletes. They were not victims of the crimes they claimed,” Civil Police Chief Fernando Veloso told a press conference on Thursday afternoon.

Late on Thursday, Mr Bentz and Mr Conger, were whisked through airport security and onto a plane home as their lawyer insisted they had nothing to do with Mr Lochte’s story and that they were only questioned by police as witnesses. “This has to be made very, very clear,” lawyer Sergio Riera told the Associated Press. “They did not make any untruthful testimony. They did not lie in their statements.”

A lawyer for Mr Feigen said early on Friday that the athlete reached an agreement with a judge in which he planned to donate 35,000 Brazilian reals (around £8,259) to an “institution” and leave the country later in the day.

He added: “In theory, one of more of them might be charged with false reporting of a crime or damage of a gas station. They have not been charged yet.”

The developments came after police announced that their investigation into Mr Lochte’s claims had uncovered a very different story. They had damaged the premises of the fuel station and tried to cover this up, police said, possibly because they were in the company of two women. Mr Veloso said the swimmers had “stained” the reputation of Rio and suggested that the men should apologise.

Though police appear mostly finished with their investigation, the case may be far from settled. Police have said authorities are considering charges of falsely reporting a crime and destruction of property, both of which can carry up to six months in jail or a fine.

Mr Lochte’s attorney, Jeff Ostrow, has insisted the story was not made up and told the New York Times that the surveillance video corroborated the “primary elements” of Mr Lochte's version of events.

“There was a uniformed person with a gun who forced them to hand over their money,” Mr Ostrow told the newspaper.

David Fleischer, a political scientist at the University of Brasilia, said the incident touched a nerve in Brazil because of the country’s history and cases of people committing crimes while impersonating police.

“The story did have some sense of validity but it didn't bear out and it made them look bad worldwide,” he said.