Will Lochte and the other swimmers have the medals taken away after they fabricated their story?

[imanamerican63]

I feel they should lose their medals. They lied and put people's lives at stake. They are an embarrassment for all the athletes who did their best in a world where lying is the way of life and the consequences are minimal.

[liberal N proud]

1. Probably the last Olympics where they preform

And other consequences to come.

[tonyt53]

2. While I think they are shitheads, they did win the medals prior to doing their vandalism.

So, in my opinion only, they should keep the medals.

[stopbush]

3. No.

How can you take away medals for a relay race unless you take them away from the entire team?

That, and the IOC would think long and hard before doing anything to piss off the USA, which is a major financial supporter of their events.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

4. Whose lives did they put at stake?

[backscatter712]

12. Lochte and his fellow douchebags did get in a brawl...

People could have gotten hurt.

[B2G]

23. Have you seen video of this?

Because supposedly it exists, but I haven't seen it posted anywhere.

They came out amazing unscathed for brawling with armed off duty cops, didn't they? Not a scratch, not a torn piece of clothing, nothing.

I don't buy that at all.

[anneboleyn]

29. Exactly, and the Rio officials confirmed they were held at gunpoint AND paid money!

Lochte may be a jerk and pompous and an ass etc but I honestly don't get the rabid hostility towards him with the media and everyone else hating him, despite the fact that the Rio officials confirmed that the swimmers WERE held at gunpoint by the security guard and paid money (they can be seen holding their hands up and paying money on the video). Of course a crucial three minutes of the video was "edited" by the police before it was shown to the media, which the police chief stated had happened for "investigation" purposes.

Jimmy Feigen has agreed to "donate" $11,000 to a Rio charity so that he can leave the country. Can you imagine what the world media would be saying if the United States detained Olympic athletes from another country for allegedly vandalizing a bathroom, a misdemeanor for which they already paid money ($150 to the security guard who held them at gunpoint),and if we forced one of them to "donate" $11,000 before he could return to his home country? That STINKS of corruption. But the rabid hatred and screaming that the swimmers should have their medals stripped and be scorned and punished for the rest of their lives seems rather odd to me given the ugliness of the entire situation.

[OBenario]

38. I know... it's terrible.

You know what the American media shoud do? Bashing Brazil...

Oh... nevermind... I remember they've been doing that for the last 14 years.

[LisaL]

40. What brawl?

Apparently they cracked a plastic sign and that what the damage was.

[Takket]

5. No. The IOC does not police athlete's personal lives. Nor should they.

[Bluzmann57]

6. If so, when does Hope Solo get disciplined?

She is a disgrace to the USA Women's soccer team and to the USA in general and should be booted off the team immediately for her comments about the Swedish team, which won fair and square. Not only that, she is a domestic abuser. So she should be disqualified for that just as any male would have been (rightfully so).

[ksoze]

7. Why not waterboard them - they're swimmers after all

No medal taken away - its an embarrassment but no one lost a life or limb.

[milestogo]

8. Did OJ get his Heisman trophy revoked?

He took 2 lives.

[SoCalMusicLover]

27. Tried & Acquitted

The killer or killers are still out there on some golf course. If OJ were not in prison, he would be searching for them right now.

[milestogo]

34. And when was the trial for Lochte and the other swimmers?

[treestar]

9. Why they are not suddenly not the winners of those events

and they will have whatever other consequences legally that exist.

[Throd]

10. They shouldn't.

[global1]

11. I'm Sure The U.S. Olympic Committee Will Mete Out Discipline For These Guys....

I don't think we'll see any of them in a future Olympic competition. They embarrassed themselves, their parents, their coaches, all the U.S. athletes competing in Rio and disgraced the U.S.

This stunt really took the edge off of the great medal count that the U.S. generated.

And I'm sure that Lochte will not be getting any lucrative endorsement deals.

Maybe - Trump should hire him.

[backscatter712]

13. They should be fined at minimum by the IOC, and made to pay restitution.

I'm not sure what penalties are available. Kicking them off the team, fines, but yeah, Lochte and co. should be punished harshly. They're a real embarrassment.

[yeoman6987]

20. Rio forced one swimmer to give 11,000 dollars in order to get his passport back

Brazil is handling this horribly.

[Kingofalldems]

24. To charity. Guess you forgot to include that part.

http://www.kfmradio.com/news/19082016-1119/us-swimmer-pay-11k-charity-after-allegedly-lying-about-rio-hold

[SickOfTheOnePct]

31. Who cares who he was forced to give it to?

Extortion is extortion.

[anneboleyn]

32. Oh please! A "donation" of $11,000 (!) to a "charity" see he can leave the country?! If the U.S.

pulled a stunt like this the international media would be screaming, and rightly so, about blatant corruption. I don't care where they claim the money is going. Do you really think an $11,000 "donation" is appropriate for an alleged misdemeanor act of vandalism (since they were actually held at gunpoint AND paid the security guard $150?!) -- before he is allowed to leave the country?

[LisaL]

39. ITA.

This guy obviously is able to pay $11,000 to leave the country, but what about some poor schmuck without that kind of money? Per tmz, damage was a small crack on plastic sign. $11,000 could buy a lot of plastic signs.

[SickOfTheOnePct]

30. Yeah, extortion must be a way of life there n/t

[anneboleyn]

33. Seriously. Lochte is an ass. But why people are excusing Rio for blatant extortion is beyond me

[EL34x4]

14. No.

Olympic medals are awarded for athletic achievement, not personal conduct.

[Stubborn]

15. This thread is an embarrassment to DU. nt

[Ace Rothstein]

16. This.

Thank you.

[Stubborn]

17. ...

[Ace Rothstein]

18. ...

[imanamerican63]

19. Wow!

I asked a question! If you don't like it? Oh well! I won't call you an embarrassment, but hope you have a great day!

[LWolf]

21. They earned the medals.

I don't think they should lose what they earned. There should be consequences, yes, but consequences related to the offense.

[panader0]

22. Swimmers get most of their money from endorsements.

Lochte, being the most well known, will lose quite a bit of money.
His rep is shot.
The medals were already won when their national embarrassment
took place. After all the fine athletes and sportsmanship at the Olympics
it is a shame to have these drunken boys cast a shadow on the rest.

[Dreamer Tatum]

25. Arbitrary and ridiculous. They earned medals in competition.

being a bad person doesn't make the Croatian swimmer faster.

[MyNameGoesHere]

26. Punish them for being the stereotypical ugly American?

Lords no, they just got positions in the tRump campaign.

[Greybnk48]

28. They won their medals fair and square.

The punishment should be something similar to what would happen to a celebrity tourist; someone who would get a lot of press. But the medals are theirs no matter what.

[taught_me_patience]

35. "They lied and put people's lives at stake" - Hyperbole much?

It was a minor incident. How about a punishment of cleaning up the piss, public apology, fixing the door, and a fine of $150? Brazil's 11,000 fine is more disgusting than the incident.

[oberliner]

36. It is bizarre that anyone would think their medals should be taken away

Endorsement deals, yes. But medals?

[mentalsolstice]

37. Lochte won his medal for being a part of a relay. What about Phelps?

Phelps and two other men were also on that team. If Lochte were stripped of his medal, would they also be disqualified?