Ignoring Michael Phelps Warning on Behavior Cost Ryan Lochte $100,000 and Respect After Rio Olympics: “Keep Your Head Straight”

The 2016 Olympics witnessed the very last moment of Michael Phelps inside the swimming pool. In the same Olympics, Usain Bolt played his final Olympics and won three gold medals, and had an emotional send-off. However, Ryan Lochte crossed the limits and suffered an early exit from Rio. He filed a false police report and got into trouble for breaking the rules. 

Seeing this, Phelps once recollected how he advised him before the race to focus on the task ahead. But the sheer loss of respect was apparent, and Lochte fell into trouble. It offended a lot of athletes, even the legendary swimmer. It left a scar on Team USA swimming team, and the media grabbed their attention to put the spotlight on him. 

Michael Phelps warned Lochte

It is incredible to see the difference in professionalism between the two athletes. Lochte is the second-most decorated swimmer in USA, winning 12 medals. Six of them were gold. But, not taking Phelps’ advice came across as a noticeable lack of respect, and Michael once recalled the conversation they had. 

“I did have a talk with him about two days before about not doing anything bad. I told him: ‘Just keep your head on straight. Have fun,'” mentioned Phelps. After he warned before the competition, a shocking video emerged the next day. Lochte and three teammates had a scuffle with the security guards at a gas station in Rio de Janeiro. At first, he gave a completely different description of what happened. 

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Lochte mentioned his teammates had received threats while getting robbed at gunpoint. But, the Brazilian police noticed something fishy and charged him for filing a false report. Lochte faced the music from the U.S. Olympic Committee and USA Swimming. They barred him from competing for ten months and he faced widespread criticism. 

Everything goes downhill

Repercussions after the incident came thick and fast as he waived $100,000 US in medal bonuses and dropped from the team’s visit to the White House. All his teammates, Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger, and Jimmy Feigen, received a suspension for four months and ordered Lochte to do 20 hours of community service. 

The scenario in Rio was different for both swimmers. While Lochte fell into trouble, Phelps won five gold medals and a silver while retiring from swimming. For Lochte, it would have been momentous for the swimmer to claim more medals in Rio. 

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