Could Ryan Lochte be surging to a triumphant rise from disgrace?
The embattled Olympic swimmer, who’s been under fire for apparently lying about being robbed at gunpoint during the Olympic games in Rio, has been offered a new job.
Sex-toy maker Autoblow is offering Lochte $10,000 to endorse its Autoblow 2 (pictured below), billed as “the record breaking crowdfunded automated male oral sex simulator.”
The self-pleasure enabler said in a release issued Tuesday that Lochte can collect a cool 10 grand if he allows himself to be photographed with the device while smiling and pointing at it. The company said it will use the photo for advertising, with the caption “Autoblow 2: The Masturbation Device Olympic Champions Chose.”
“It takes years of dedication and practice to win one Olympic Medal let alone 12, so I see in him a man with qualities our brand stands for. I forgive him for his mistake and want to put him in front of an audience of men who admire him as the champion he is to help us promote the champion of masturbation devices: the Autoblow 2,” inventor Brian Sloan said of the offer. “The Autoblow 2’s tireless motor exemplifies the Olympic spirit much as Lochte did while winning his medals.”
Lochte might need the cash: After finding himself in the middle of scandal, a slew of sponsors cut ties with the swimmer this week, including Speedo, Ralph Lauren and mattress company Airweave.
Lochte issued an apology last week after claiming that he and some of his teammates had been robbed. His claim was later contradicted by reports that a security guard at a gas station had pulled a gun on the group after they had been accused of vandalism and public urination.
“I want to apologize for my behavior last weekend — for not being more careful and candid in how I described the events of that early morning and for my role in taking the focus away from the many athletes fulfilling their dreams of participating in the Olympics,” the athlete wrote.
12 Biggest Rio Olympics Fails, From Shootings and Thefts to Green Swimming Pools (Photos)
A new seaside bike path built for the Summer Olympics near Rio's Sao Conrado Beach collapsed in April after it was hit by a wave, killing two cyclists.
YouTube
The Australian delegation initially refused to move into their accommodations at the Olympic Village, complaining of exposed wiring and leaks that were later documented by other athletes.
YouTube
A bullet ripped through the media tent at the equestrian center on Aug. 6, narrowly missing a member of the New Zealand delegation, and a second bullet was found a few days later. The equestrian events are held in Deodoro, which is near to a small slum where police have been conducting operations.
YouTube
On Aug. 7, Dutch cyclist Annemiek van Vleuten suffered a concussion and three fractured vertebrae when she crashed on the road race course, which has been criticized by several athletes for its dangerous turns and descents.
YouTube
The Olympic diving pool turned green Aug. 9 after a maintenance worker mistakenly added hydrogen peroxide, which neutralized the chlorine and allowed organic compounds like algae to bloom.
YouTube
The water polo pool, also in the Maria Lenk Aquatic Center, also turned green later in the week.
YouTube
A bus carrying members of the media was shot at while returning from a women's basketball game in the Deodoro cluster Aug. 9. Brazilian officials initially attributed the shattered windows to rock throwing, but people on the bus insisted they were gunshots.
YouTube
On Aug. 10, Belgian sailor Evi Van Acker fell ill with intestinal problems that her coach attributed to training in Rio in July. Untreated sewage flows into Guanabara Bay, where the sailing events are being held.
YouTube
A bus carrying three semi-finalists in the women's 50-meter freestyle, including Britain's Fran Halsall, drove to the track stadium instead of the pool on Aug. 12, forcing the night's swimming events to be rescheduled. Halsall eventually finished fourth in the event.
YouTube
An Olympics employee robbed an unidentified athlete of $20,000 that was left in his or her room on Aug. 12. That was not the only such theft in the Village, as the Australian and Danish delegations claimed electronics and other personal items were also stolen from their rooms.
YouTube
Team USA was not immune from Rio's crime problem, as a group of swimmers led by multiple gold medalist Ryan Lochte was robbed by armed men pretending to be police officers while returning from a party in a taxi early on Aug. 14.
Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images
An overhead camera and cables fell more than 60 feet in the Olympic Village Aug. 15, injuring at least seven spectators.
YouTube
1 of 12
The 2016 Summer Games have been packed with moments of brilliance, but there’s also been negative news from Rio
A new seaside bike path built for the Summer Olympics near Rio's Sao Conrado Beach collapsed in April after it was hit by a wave, killing two cyclists.