Rio Olympics 2016: Ryan Lochte admits he was drunk when he ‘over-exaggerated’ account of being robbed at gunpoint having vandalised Rio petrol station
DISGRACED American swimmer Ryan Lochte choked back the tears as he admitted he was DRUNK when he lied about being robbed at gunpoint.
The 32-year-old has come clean about his Rio shame and confessed that a gun was never pointed at his head after he and three fellow swimmers vandalised a petrol station.
In an emotional interview with American TV station NBC he has now conceded it was his "immature behaviour" that got him and his USA team-mates into trouble with the Rio police.
He initially claimed himself, James Feigen, Jack Conger and Gunnar Bentz were robbed in the early hours of August 14 as they returned from a party.
The swimming quartet were then forced to pay for the damages they caused after it emerged they had merely been confronted by armed security guards.
Lochte, who has won six Olympic golds across four Games, also did and interview with Brazilian network Globo as he attempts to repent for his actions.
"All we know is that there was a gun pointed in our direction and we were demanded to give money.
"We just wanted to get out of there. There was a gun pointed in our direction, we were all frightened and we wanted to get out of there as quick as possible.
"And the only way we knew was that this guy was saying 'you have to give them money' so we gave them money and we got out.