Ryan Lochte revealed a strict rule for Team USA swimmers while staying in the Olympic Village—which is to stay in the Olympic Village.
On Tuesday, August 6, the athlete’s wife, Kayla Lochte, answered fans’ questions on TikTok, including an inquiry about why people have seen some athletes leaving the Village—the residential complex where the competing nations house their athletes—while others have not.
“What do you mean you are not allowed to leave the Olympic Village? I see all kinds of Olympic athletes leaving the Village,” the TikTok user’s question read, which was then repeated by Kayla, 33, to Ryan, 40, who remained off-camera.
“Not USA swimmers,” the experienced Olympian—who competed with Team USA in four Olympic Games—replied, as Kayla followed up, inferring, “USA has stricter rules than other countries, right?”
“Yes,” the swimmer confirmed, as Kayla questioned, “But you can leave for certain things?”
“Nope,” the father of three—Caiden, 7, Liv, 5, and Georgia June, 13 months—said, adding that if you have days off swimming and want to go eat lunch “with your family,” for example, you have to get the “okay through the head coach.”
@kayla.lochte Replying to @mammaontherun #olympics #usa #swimming #village #olympicvillage #paris #paris2024
The 12-time Olympic medalist—six gold medals, three silver, and three bronze—competed on the Team USA swimming team in four Olympic Games, his first being in Athens in 2004. He went on to attend the 2008 Games in Beijing, the 2012 Games in London, and the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro.
Lochte previously experienced trouble with the Olympic Committee with ‘Lochtegate’ where in which he lied about being robbed at gunpoint in Rio de Janeiro during the 2016 Summer Olympics. He ended up suspended for 10 months and losing out on more than $1 million in sponsorships. The claim was an exaggeration to cover up a confrontation with armed security guards over alleged vandalism.
Lochte told Brazilian authorities that he and fellow teammates Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger, and James Feigen had been robbed at gunpoint at a Rio gas station after a night of celebrating. As inconsistencies emerged in the account, skepticism grew.
A charge against him was ultimately dismissed, and he has since repeatedly apologized for his behavior.
But aside from Lochte’s own encounter with Olympic Committees, Brazilian swimmer Ana Carolina Vieira made headlines last week for being sent home for leaving the Village “without authorization.”
Her teammate Gabriel Santos was also with her, but a Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB) spokesperson explained that Vieira was sent home for “aggressively and disrespectfully challenge[ing] the Technical Committee’s lineup for the qualifiers for the women’s 4x100m relay,” in addition to her previous offense.