As made clear in a recent column, I am no fan of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) or its manifestly negligent decision to choose Rio as the location of this year’s Olympics. For the last year, the IOC has been in the full denial mode as various experts detailed the gross failures of Brazil to address shortfalls in pollution control and infrastructure (including the recent controversy over pools turning green and smelly). Even with the health of athletes at stake, IOC officials have dismissed every health warning concerning the raw sewage in the water events and the rampant crime around the Olympic facilities. The most recent example came with the latest robbery of athletes. In this case, an Olympic star and three other athletes were held and robbed at gunpoint at a gasoline station. Despite public accounts coming from Lochte and his mother, the IOC assured the world media that the story was absolutely false. Nothing to see here. Of course, the story was true but the IOC seems to put truth just behind the health of athletes on the list of its priorities. UPDATE: The police have released videotapes and accounts that sharply contradict the account of Lochte and his friends.
The statements of Lochte’s mother, Ileana, were already published when International Olympic Committee spokesman Mark Adams said reports of American swimmer Ryan Lochte being robbed at gunpoint are “absolutely not true.” Ileana Lochte, who is also in Rio, said that her son called her immediately after the “terrifying” incident. Brazilian Swimmer Thiago Pereira, who was at the same party, also confirmed the robbery.
The IOC said that the fault was with the USOC, which gave it false information. Regardless of the source, the desire to immediately deny another robbery of athletes was obvious. It might be a good idea to confirm the information before issuing statements for both the IOC and USOC. Update: a latter investigation contradicted the swimmers though this was not known until after an investigation. The police say that Lochte and his friends destroyed property and paid damages at the scene.
@Kurt J
Yep! I was holding off commenting on this, because I am not so sure the Americans were telling the truth. They could have been on a Grindr/Tindr date, or out past curfew, whatever. I did not suspect that they may have trashed a gas station.
This will work out over the next few days.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Well, the credibility of this website just took a huge blow. Seems like American Idols are capable of lying, and the Turley rush to judge the IOC was misguided.
Do they speak Portugeese down there?
Steve Groen, I stand corrected, Dilma now claims that she has left Marxism and is now a pragmatic capitalist. One for you Steve.
Hey Dude Brazil has been run by left leaning people for quit a while.
It was Putin. The robbery, the whole thing. Unnamed anonymous sources that won’t reveal thier identity and wish to remain unknown and who avoid public scrutiny and don’t want to be revealed, ever, have confirmed beyond any doubt in their minds that it just possibly might be Putin who wants the Olympics to fail because they are taking place in the same hemisphere as Hillary Clinton. Take it to the bank.
It’s all about corruption. The Olympic Committee should be replaced in it’s entirety, and the games should never have been held in Brazil which is completely corrupt and dangerous.
Independent Bob: Sorry to break the news to you. That’s not socialism. That’s capitalism in its finest hour. It’s all about greed and money over people, Dude.
Darren:
I had forgotten about Baghdad Bob – the prototypical government spokesperson.
3rd world socialism.
Perhaps it has something to do w/the “er” government adjustment going on there. Amazing that there is so little news about that.
Just another example of organizational mendacity.
Doesn’t matter if it is the U.S. government, sports organizations, Obama, Hillary, or Trump; they all lie to us.
By the way, so does the MSM, but they are more subtle about it; they merely mislead and distort.
USOC is corrupt as well.
Where did this agency take their class on lying and denial…from the clintons? Sounds familiar eh?
Not entirely fair. The IOC is extremely adroit at antisemitism.
The IOC is as corrupt as FIFA and get it gets to pretend it is this uber allies faux country of peace, tranquility and justice….it has a flag and an anthem! Insanity. It is a money generator for corporations and individuals. The athletes and sport are incidental.