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Speedo ends sponsorship of Ryan Lochte

By Danielle Wightman-Stone

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Fashion

American swimmer Ryan Lochte, a 12-time Olympic medalist, has been dropped by swimwear manufacturer Speedo, as well as fashion label Ralph Lauren following him falsely claiming that he had been robbed at gunpoint by a policeman after a night out during the Rio Olympics.

In a statement on its Twitter, Speedo USA stated that it would donate a 50,000 dollar portion of Lochte's fee to Save The Children, a global charity partner of Speedo USA’s parent company, for children in Brazil.

“While we enjoyed a winning relationship with Ryan for over a decade and he has been an important member of the Speedo team, we cannot condone behaviour that is counter to the values this brand has long stood for. We appreciated his many achievements and hope he moves forward and learns from this experience,” the Speedo statement read.

I am #TeamSpeedo, are you?

A photo posted by Ryanlochte (@ryanlochte) on

Ryan Lochte loses all four commercial sponsors after Rio Olympics lie

Speedo’s decision follows Lochte’s other commercial sponsors, including Ralph Lauren, Airweave and Gentle Hair Removal dropping the medal winning swimmer after claiming that he and three teammates Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger and Jimmy Feign had been pulled over and robbed at gunpoint by men posing as police officers while on their way back to the Olympic Village. In actual fact, the swimmer had vandalised a locked toilet at a petrol station.

Ralph Lauren said in a statement: “Ralph Lauren continues to proudly sponsor the US Olympic and Paralympic Team and the values that its athletes embody. Ralph Lauren’s endorsement agreement with Ryan Lochte was specifically in support of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and the company will not be renewing his contract.”

Since the incident Ralph Lauren has pulled Lochte’s image from their website and social media pages.

In response to the controversy Lochte has issued an apology for the incident, in part stating: “I am very proud to represent my country in Olympic competition and this was a situation that could and should have been avoided. I accept responsibility for my role in this happening and have learned some valuable lessons.”

A photo posted by Ryanlochte (@ryanlochte) on

Image: Speedo USA Facebook

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