Swimmers claimed they were robbed at gunpoint by police say they fabricated the story after petrol station staff made them pay for the damage
THIS is the video that police say proves Olympic swimming superstar Ryan Lochte and his team-mates fabricated a story about being robbed at gunpoint - to cover their tracks after they drunkenly kicked in a petrol station door.
The silver-haired star has been slated as Lyin' Ryan and accused of insulting his Brazilian hosts as the story began to unravel.
Four Team USA athletes - Lochte, Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger and Jimmy Feigen - claimed armed robbers dressed as policemen pulled over their taxi and stole their wallets as they returned to the Olympic Village after a night out in Rio.
But police cast doubt on the story after CCTV emerged of Lochte and Feigen returning to the Village much later than they claimed - and Lochte still had his wallet as he passed through security.
Conger and Bentz were stopped from boarding a flight home as the incident risked escalating into a full-on diplomatic row.
Now officials in Rio say the believe the group fabricated the robbery after an embarrassing altercation at a petrol station at 6am on Sunday.
Video from the garage forecourt shows one of the group apparently failing to open a toilet door and aiming a kick to force his way in.
A security guard appeared and confronted them, the official said.
In the footage silver-haired Lochte can clearly be seen with the others as they walk back to their taxi after first trying to get into the wrong vehicle by mistake.
Petrol station staff then stop the taxi leaving and the swimmers are seen holding their hands up.
Officials told the Associated Press the swimmers were confronted by a security guard, who was armed with a pistol but he never took it out or pointed it at the swimmers.
The manager then arrived and asked them to pay for the damage. They handed over an unknown amount of cash before leaving, the official said.
Earlier this week Lochte posted on social media: "I want to thank all my family, friends and fans for the overwhelming support and concern I havce received. While it is true that my teammates and I were the victims of a robbery early Sunday morning, what is most important is that we are safe and unharmed."
He also said: "I wouldn't make up a story like this nor would the others - as a matter of fact we all feel it makes us look bad."
Earlier this week CCTV footage emerged in Brazilian media of Feigen and Lochte returning to the village much later than they claimed.
And Lochte’s wallet, which was supposed to have been stolen, was seen passing through the village's security check. Rio police have also been unable to find the driver of their taxi.
Describing the incident earlier this week, he said: "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.
"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."
Overnight Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger, who both won gold medals in the 4×200 metres freestyle relay, were prevented from boarding an aircraft to return home.
Brazilian authorities later released the pair but they are expected to face further questioning.
Earlier on Wednesday, Rio police tried to stop Feigen and Lochte from leaving Brazil in order to question them further about the disputed robbery.
Sandusky said local police came to the athletes’ village on Wednesday morning to meet the pair and seize their passports but said “we were not able to make the athletes available” as the swimming team moved out of the village when their competition ended last weekend.
Lochte is believed to have already returned to the US.
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