Gold medal-winning US swimmer Ryan Lochte ‘held up at gunpoint during Rio Olympic party’
SWIMMING superstar Ryan Lochte was 'held up at gunpoint in Rio' just days after winning gold, his mum has revealed.
The 32-year-old American was reportedly robbed by armed men on the way to a party in the Olympic host city overnight.
He was not hurt in the incident and is now at the Team USA training base.
It reportedly took place after he was invited to the bash with three team-mates by Brazilian swimmer Thiago Pereira.
The 32-year-old champion has since described the "terrifying" moment the robber held a gun to his head.
In an interview with , he described the attack: "I was with a couple swimmers, 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.
"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.'"
At this point, Lochte said one of the men pulled out his gun, cocked it and raised it to his forehead.
He continued: "He said 'get down'. I put my hands up. I was like "whatever".
"He took our money, he took my wallet."
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The USOC has confirmed the athletes were robbed on their way back to the Olympic Village.
In a public statement, the committee said: "All four athletes are safe and cooperating with authorities."
Speaking to Fox Sports News, the swimmer's mum Ileana said the hold up had been "terrifying" for her son.
She told : "I think they’re all shaken up. There were a few of them.
"No, they were just, they just took their wallets and basically that was it.”
She continued to explain that Lochte and his team-mates were confronted by a gang carrying guns and knives while their cab stopped to get petrol.
Yet IOC spokesman Mark Adams denied there had been any incident, saying it was "absolutely not true".
Lochte won his sixth Olympic gold medal as part of the US team that stormed to the 4x200m freestyle relay title on Tuesday.
The gold was his 12th Olympic medal since his first Games at Athens in 2004.
The New Yorker missed out to fellow American Michael Phelps in the 200m individual medley - the event in which he is the world record holder - languishing in fifth.
He also created waves out of the pool after bleaching his hair for the Games.
Speaking about the hold up, Team USA pole vaulter Jenn Suhr said: "When you're in another country you don't know of, it's not the smartest idea to go places you're unsure of.
“I’m just glad they’re safe.”
More to follow