Who is Ryan Lochte? Here’s what we know about the Rio 2016 Olympic bad boy
Lies about a boozy encounter at a Brazilian petrol station has left the swimmer mired in controversy
AMERICAN swimmer Ryan Lochte has hit the headlines for both the right and wrong reasons during the Olympics in RIO.
He claimed gold for the USA as part of the 4x200m freestyle relay team taking his career Olympic medal haul to 12 ranking him second to Michael Phelps.
But lies about a boozy encounter at a Brazilian petrol station has left the swimmer mired in controversy.
Having initially claimed to have been held up at gun point CCTV footage emerged of the bleach blonde swimmer getting into an alcohol fuelled brawl on the garage forecourt.
The 32-year-old could now have criminal charges brought against him in the South American country after he and two other swimmers smashed up a toilet at the petrol station.
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But as Lochte now resides safely back in the USA with extradition extremely unlikely The Sun asks who is this bad boy of Olympic swimming?
Ryan Lochte was born in Rochester, New York to a Cuban mother and an American father.
His early years were spent in in the nearby town of Canandaigua, New York but they soon moved to Florida with his four siblings so his dad could pursue a career as a swimming coach.
Lochte was regularly booted out of his dad's training sessions for horsing around and messing about with other children.
His father Steve used to send him to the showers when he messed about and once said "he spent more time in the showers than he did in the pool".
But Ryan was spurred into action at the age of 14 when he lost at the Junior Olympics when he decided he was "sick of losing".
From there he went to the University of Florida and swam for their Florida Gators team scooping up medals and smashing records.
He went to his first Olympics in Athens where he took gold in the 4x200 freestyle relay and a silver in the 200m individual medley.
Four years later in Beijing he took home two golds and two bronzes smashing the world record for the 200m backstroke.
In London he scooped up five medals and in Rio just one but has helped the USA win every 4x200m freestyle relay he has ever competed in.
Outside of swimming he has modelled for Speedo and Ralph Lauren as well as featuring on the cover of several magazines including Vogue, Time and Men's Health.
He has appeared on sit com 30 rock as an exaggerated version of himself and also had a guest appearance on 90210.
A failed venture into reality TV with the series What Would Ryan Lochte Do? was cancelled after just one season.
He is currently dating the stunning model Kayla Rae Reid.
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