During the first week of the Olympics, gold medalist swimmer Ryan Lochte was mostly talked about for his silver fox hairdo and relay gold medal. That now seems like an entire Olympic cycle ago, as the swimmer finds himself in hot water — and likely unwelcome in Brazil ever again — after an incident at a gas station with three teammates that he claims was a robbery but Rio police say was a lie to cover up vandalism that unfairly slandered the host country.
There are plenty of unknowns in this case — like the extent of the alleged vandalism at the gas station — but here’s what we know so far.
Aug. 14, 1:47 a.m. local time
Lochte and fellow American swimmers Jimmy Feigen, Jack Conger and Gunnar Bentz are caught on camera arriving at a party at Club France in the Lagoa neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro, about a 30- to 40-minute drive from the Olympic Village.
Aug. 14, 5:47 a.m.
Lochte and crew leave the party.
Aug. 14, 6:06 a.m.
Security camera footage captures Lochte and the other swimmers leaving a taxi to use the restroom at a gas station in the Barra de Tijuca neighborhood, about 10 minutes from the Olympic Village.
Aug. 14, 6:08 a.m.
The camera captures several gas station employees milling about the restroom as the swimmers leave.
Aug. 14, 6:09 a.m.
The swimmers get back in the taxi and are approached by a man in black holding an object aimed through a rear window.
Aug. 14, 6:12 a.m.
The swimmers emerge from the taxi with their hands up. A source close to Lochte told People that the missing three minutes confirmed his robbery story.
Aug. 14, 6:13 a.m.
A gas station employee emerges from the restroom carrying what appear to be broken items.
Aug. 14, between 6:15 and 7:00 a.m.
Lochte calls his mother and tells her that he and the three other swimmers were robbed at gunpoint.
Aug. 14, 6:57 a.m.
The swimmers arrive at the Olympic Village, where they do not appear shaken or disoriented in security camera footage.
Aug. 14, 10:27 a.m.
Fox Sports reports Lochte was held up at gunpoint.
BREAKING: @USASwimming Gold medallist Ryan Lochte has been held up at gunpoint at a party in Brazil.
Details on @FOXSportsNews 500.— Ben Way (@BenWayAUS) August 14, 2016
Aug. 14, 11:27 a.m.
An IOC spokesman denies the allegation.
IOC director of comms Mark Adams has just said Lochte gunpoint story is "not true."
— Ben Rumsby (@ben_rumsby) August 14, 2016
Aug. 14, 6:57 p.m.
Lochte claims to have been the victim of an armed robbery in an Instagram post.
http://www.instagram.com/p/BJGuJ_kBh8P/
Aug. 16, unknown time
Lochte returns to the U.S.
Aug. 17, 9:10 p.m.
Conger and Bentz are pulled off of United Airlines Flight 128 to Houston and questioned further about the incident.
Aug. 18, 4:00 p.m.
Rio police hold a news conference claiming the swimmers were not attacked, but instead vandalized the restroom and were stopped from leaving by employees of the gas station until they paid for damages. TMZ reported that Lochte paid $400 for what was just a cracked sandwich sign.
Aug. 18, 10:44 p.m.
Conger and Bentz fly back to the U.S. aboard American Airlines Flight 990 to Miami.
Aug. 19, early morning
Feigen agrees to donate about $10,800 to a local charity in exchange for not being charged with filing a false police report and being allowed to leave Brazil.
Aug. 19, 11:11 a.m.
Lochte apologizes in an Instagram post “for not being more careful and candid in how I described the events of that early morning.” He reiterated that a stranger pointed a gun and demanded money in exchange for the swimmers’ freedom, which is not disputed by any of the parties, but acknowledged that he “should have been much more responsible in how I handled myself.”