OT: US Swimmers removed from airplane by Brazilian authorities

Submitted by Go Blue in NC on

Per USOC, USA swimmers Jack Conger and Gunnar Bentz were removed from their flight back to the US by Brazilian authorities this evening. Obviously limited information at this point and I know another thread addresses this issue but figured it would get buried. Will update the OP as more info comes out.

Link: https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/766091610102915072

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Njia

August 18th, 2016 at 7:35 AM ^

"Ryan Lochte is a bad person and he should feel bad."

"No, he's NOT! 'MURICA!"

"Brazil is a corrupt cesspool. And that's the nicest thing we can think to say."

"USA swimmers are a bunch of entitled assholes."

"Brazil is not acting in its own best interest. Unless they are."

"This is just weird and ..."

"What were we talking about, again?"

 

Please correct any omissions or errors. KTHX.

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RoseInBlue

August 18th, 2016 at 8:14 AM ^

Maybe it is an overreaction.  But if they did falsify a police report (which I don't know that they did), then that's illegal and the Brazilian authorities are completely within their rights here.  

I figure it's like jaywalking or driving 5 miles over the speed limit.  It's generally let go and most cops won't give you a ticket for it, but they're not doing anything wrong if they choose to do so.

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Wolv1984

August 18th, 2016 at 8:22 AM ^

Bad strategic move by Brazil, keeps it in the news cycle.  Just issue a statement saying "Well we looked into Ryan's complaint and the video evidence doesn't support his story because it shows them just moving from party to party at the Olympic village.  At this time all we can confirm is Ryan's hair looks stupid.  We need additional informatiom from Ryan to move forward."  No way on earth Ryan goes back to Brazil, so in six months they can just toss the report as no additional action needed.  

At this point if Ryan does recant, folks will just assume it was to spring his buddies from jail.  Plus it makes Brazil look insecure as hell.  Multiple coaches and athletes have reported crimes, Brazil's own police force was protesting about how unsafe it was at the airport, so even if you prove Ryan made it up or embellished it, it doesn't change the overall reality.  

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mgoblue0970

August 18th, 2016 at 9:07 AM ^

Brazil is insecure.  The only reason this is happening is they are trying to save face.  The Olympics haven't gone well for them.  The quarters are substandard, the attendance has been spotty, the pool was green for Pete's sake. 

Brazil wants the world to see they are a safe, competent, modern nation.

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megaswami

August 18th, 2016 at 8:46 AM ^

Here's the funny part, when in an American court have you ever heard of a judge viewing tape and making the assumption that victims appeared to be calm and concluding that nothing could of happened be caused they "looked alright"? Furthermore, you asked drunks to create a timeline, geez I wonder why it's off. At least in a majority of the US you have bars closing at 2am, which helps frame things.



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Wendyk5

August 18th, 2016 at 10:16 AM ^

I once got mugged in LA. A guy came up from behind and grabbed my purse, which was on my shoulder. Well, I hung on and we got into a tug of war with it. We were face to face, and he was no more than two feet away from me. I finally started screaming "Help!" when he wouldn't let go, and some painters ran out of a house nearby. The guy then ran away. You'd think I'd remember his face, but I don't. I didn't at the time, and I don't now. I don't know if these guys are telling the truth or not, but being in a situation like that does strange things to your brain. 

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WorldwideTJRob

August 18th, 2016 at 10:56 AM ^

I once was robbed at gun point in Detroit and the matter may have lasted no more than 10 seconds. I remember every detail of that night including the asshole who robbed me and that was after a few drinks walking from the bar I was leaving. Now ask me what I ate for lunch two days ago and it might take me a minute to recall that. Your experience is different than mine and I respect that but it is personally hard for me to fathom someone robbing you at gun point and you not being able to remember anything about the situation.



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BJNavarre

August 18th, 2016 at 8:56 AM ^

This may not be their intention, but the Rio police are certainly going to make any victims of crime think twice before reporting them for the remaining couple days of these games. "Oh, you got robbed? Just hand us your passport please and we'll let you return to your home in a couple of weeks....assuming your account of events checks out."

I think Lochte's account is at least partially fabricated, but the Rio authorities are turning this into a bigger, and nastier, story than it needs to be.

Joined: 07/02/2008

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BoFan

August 18th, 2016 at 9:05 AM ^

According to the news reports the athletes never filed a police report. They didn't go to the police and didn't intend to. They were only interviewed and the police only started investigating after it appeared in the media. So all the speculation about a misdemeanor crime of filing a false police report is not true.

So what jurisdictions investigate robberies without a complaint? Especially a place like Rio where thousands of robberies and probably many murders are never investigated.

This is purely political. Rio is trying to save face. Politics is often about pointing the finger at the other guy so when you have a politically appointed judge who has spent their entire career in politics your first reaction is not to find the truth but to point the finger. This being purely political is true no matter what the swimmers were initially hiding, whether it's just that they were out drinking as reported or that they were trying out one of Rios many more risqué and legal distractions.

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Raback Omaba

August 18th, 2016 at 9:30 AM ^

That people on here are questioning Brazil's response as too much, or to just "let them leave, no big deal."

These people committed a crime in a foreign country which embarassed it on the international stage. The lied. This is very stupid to do in the United States, let alone South America.

I think that Brazil should prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law. Better yet, they should demand that Lochte be returned to Brazil - even going so far as to keep the other ones in the country until Locthe returns. That would make for great intrigue!

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BoFan

August 18th, 2016 at 9:42 AM ^

What crime? If they didn't report it in the first place they can't even be accused of that MISDEMEANOR. There is no doubt They are getting ensnared in the corrupt politics of another country. A country with a deep and long history of corruption. A county, if you care to read about it, is in the middle of an ugly politically based impeachment where both sides are allegedly trying to hide their own deep rooted corruption. A city with rampant crime that's never investigated. And they are now trying to safe face by detaining athletes as witnesses that didn't do anything wrong.

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