Ryan Lochte admitted he made a “big mistake” in Rio during an appearance on ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Tuesday, but denied vandalizing a gas station bathroom and insisted his only offense was tearing up a poster.
“I don’t know if I would consider it a robbery or extortion, or us just paying up for the poster I ripped,” Lochte told Amy Robach during his first live interview since the Olympics ended. “Other people have been finding out, investigating it, there was no damage to the bathroom. I never even entered the bathroom. It was locked, so we couldn’t go in there at all, so, it never happened.”
“Like I said, I did lie about that one part,” Lochte said, referring to his claim that a gun was held to his head. “I take full responsibility. I’m human. I made a mistake. A very big mistake.”
Lochte was dropped by four sponsors since he claimed to have been held up at gunpoint during the Rio Olympics, a scandal that also implicated three of his U.S. Swimming teammates. However, Lochte said everyone is “blowing this way out of proportion.”
Brazilian police said Lochte’s story was a fabrication and the swimmers were not robbed. The police claim they vandalized a gas station bathroom and were confronted by armed security guards. Lochte has been charged with making a false police report.
“It’s something that I learned from and I know that will never happen again,” he told Robach.
Lochte wants to move forward and used his appearance on ABC to officially announce that he’ll appear on the upcoming season of “Dancing with the Stars.”
“I’m never one to dwell on the past. I just want to move forward,” he said. “Everyone has got to be sick and tired about hearing about this. I just want to move forward.”
Watch the interview below.