By Katelyn Needham/ campus editor
The 2016 Rio Olympics proved to be fruitful for the USA team who brought home a record-breaking 121 medals.
But for swimmer Ryan Lochte, this year’s games, or rather his actions outside of them, could prove fatal for his career and sponsorships.
Lochte admitted that he “over-exaggerated” his story of being robbed at gunpoint with three of his teammates.
He boasted about his near-death experience to TMZ and other media giants from the comfort of home while his teammates were left to deal with the fallout in Rio when, in actuality, they were just being reprimanded for vandalizing a gas station and unruly public behavior.
Lochte has halfheartedly apologized publicly to the police force for his lies, but he hasn’t proved enough to save his sponsorship deals with Speedo, Ralph Lauren, Airweave and Gentle Hair Removal. These deals alone were estimated to earn Lochte $1 million.
Pro athletes, along with other public figures, have little wiggle room for errors in judgment, and Lochte’s incident is no exception.
Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps was also under fire in 2009 when photos of him smoking marijuana were leaked. Phelps later lost his Kellogg sponsorship and was suspended from competing for three months. Similar to Lochte, Phelps’ sponsors felt he wasn’t properly representing the brand.
Phelps, however, is also proof that it’s possible to make a comeback after a public nightmare. Lochte has hope for redemption.
Athletes of Lochte’s caliber should and are held to high standards because they influence so much of the youth in our country and others.
What message would it send to little kids if he was allowed to walk away scot-free from this?
The Olympic swimmer used the current cultural conditions in Rio to lie and cover up his indiscretions.
This not only sets a bad example for the youth who look up to him but also paints the USA in a bad light on a global stage.
For those two reasons alone, Lochte deserved the repercussions he received, if not more.
