Sports

US Swimmers Exit Rio after Taxi Robbery Scandal

Published

8 years ago

August 19, 2016

Bchcomber

Journalists surround American Olympic swimmers Gunnar Bentz, left, and Jack Conger, center, as they leave the police station at Rio International airport early Thursday Aug. 18, 2016.

RIO DE JANEIRO – American Olympic swimmers Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger were on their way home Friday after being pulled off a plane a day earlier to testify about an alleged robbery at the Rio Olympics that Brazilian police said was made up. The lawyer for a third U.S. swimmer said he would make a $10,800 payment and leave Brazil later in the day.

The drama surrounding the alleged robbery of American swimmers – and their ever-changing descriptions of it – has shocked and deeply angered Brazilians, who said it cast a false negative shadow on their city and their Olympics at a time the country is eager to prove it can host the games safely. The story has also dominated Olympic headlines, overshadowing the worthy accomplishments of athletes who trained for years just to get to Rio and set records during their performances. The saga was an enormous embarrassment for the U.S. Olympic team, which has dominated in the medal count.

The rapid-fire developments early Friday came hours after police announced that Ryan Lochte and three of his teammates had not been held at gunpoint after a night of partying, as Lochte claimed. Instead, Brazilian police said the men, while intoxicated, vandalized a gas station bathroom and were questioned by armed guards before they paid for the damage and left.

“No robbery was committed against these athletes. They were not victims of the crimes they claimed,” Civil Police Chief Fernando Veloso told a news conference.

Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger, were whisked through airport security and onto a plane home Thursday night, their attorney insisted they had nothing to do with Lochte’s story. Lochte himself left the country earlier this week.

Bentz and Conger “were heard only as witnesses. This has to be made very, very clear,” lawyer Sergio Riera told The Associated Press. “They did not make any untruthful testimony. They did not lie in their statements.”

A lawyer for another swimmer, James Feigen, said early Friday that the athlete reached an agreement with a judge in which he planned to donate 35,000 Brazilian reals ($10,800) to an “institution” and leave the country later in the day.

Attorney Breno Melaragno said under the agreement, Feigen will make the donation, get his passport back and depart.

Melaragno did not specify where the money will go, but his use of the term “institution” can be taken to mean a charity. He said that under Brazilian law, a donation can be made to avoid criminal prosecution for minor offenses, but did not say what charge was being contemplated.

Though police appear mostly finished with their probe, the case may be far from settled. Police have said authorities are considering charges of falsely reporting a crime and destruction of property, both of which can carry up to six months in jail or a fine.

Lochte’s attorney, Jeff Ostrow, has insisted the story wasn’t made up and told the New York Times the surveillance video corroborated the “primary elements” of Lochte’s version of events.

“There was a uniformed person with a gun who forced them to hand over their money,” Ostrow told the newspaper.

The saga began when Lochte said he and Conger, Bentz and Feigen were held at gunpoint and robbed several hours after the last Olympic swimming races ended. That claim started unraveling when police said that investigators could not find evidence to substantiate it.

Then security video reviewed by police confirmed the athletes vandalized parts of the gas station, leading to an encounter with station employees.

The video shows one of the swimmers pulling a sign off of a wall and dropping it onto the ground. A gas station worker arrives, and other workers inspect the damage. Veloso said the swimmers broke a door, a soap dispenser and a mirror.

The swimmers eventually talk with station workers and their cab leaves. In another sequence, the swimmers appear to briefly raise their hands while talking to someone and sit down on a curb.

After a few minutes, the swimmers stand up and appear to exchange something – perhaps cash, as police said – with one of the men.

The footage doesn’t show a weapon, but a police official, speaking on condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing, said two guards pointed guns at the swimmers. Veloso said the guards did not use excessive force and would have been justified in drawing their weapons because the athletes “were conducting themselves in a violent way.”

A station employee called police, and the guards and employees tried to get the swimmers and the taxi driver to stay until authorities arrived, some even offering to help interpret between English and Portuguese, Veloso said. But he said the athletes wanted to leave, so they paid 100 Brazilian reals (about US $33) and $20 in U.S. currency and left.

Police said the swimmers had been unable to provide key details in early interviews, saying they had been intoxicated. The police official said officers grew suspicious when video showed the swimmers returning to the athletes village wearing watches, which would have likely been taken in a robbery.

Bentz and Conger told police that they felt Lochte had lied about the situation in media interviews, according to text of the statements released by Rio police.

“We got pulled over, in the taxi, and these guys came out with a badge, a police badge, no lights, no nothing just a police badge and they pulled us over,” Lochte told NBC’s “Today” the morning after the incident. “They pulled out their guns, they told the other swimmers to get down on the ground – they got down on the ground. I refused, I was like we didn’t do anything wrong, so – I’m not getting down on the ground.

“And then the guy pulled out his gun, he cocked it, put it to my forehead and he said, ‘Get down,’ and I put my hands up, I was like ‘whatever.’ He took our money, he took my wallet – he left my cellphone, he left my credentials.”

The debacle prompted both wild speculation and social media mockery, which quickly turned to scorn after the official account went public. #LochteGate trended on Twitter, with users sharing video footage and posting comments about white privilege and rude Americans.

David Fleischer, a political scientist at the University of Brasilia, said the incident touched a nerve in Brazil because of the country’s history and cases of people committing crimes while impersonating police.

“The story did have some sense of validity but it didn’t bear out and it made them look bad worldwide,” he said.

That outrage was evident Thursday, as onlookers shouted “liars” and “shameful” at Bentz and Conger as they left a police station where they gave statements.

While he’s medaled often, Lochte’s accomplishments have long been overshadowed by teammate Michael Phelps – the most decorated Olympian in history. Lochte, a 12-time medalist, won a gold in Rio in a relay race alongside Phelps.

Lochte and the other swimmers could face sanctions from USA Swimming, including fines or suspension. The group, as well as Olympic officials, publicly expressed disappointment and said they would further examine the matter.

“We apologize to our hosts in Rio and the people of Brazil for this distracting ordeal in the midst of what should rightly be a celebration of excellence,” the U.S. Olympic Committee said.

By PETER PRENGAMAN, MAURICIO SAVARESE and LUIS ANDRES HENAO

The Associated Press

—

AP reporters Cristiana Mesquita, Beth Harris, Chris Lehourites, Pauline Arrillaga and Renata Brito in Rio de Janeiro contributed to this report.

Sports

Bo Bichette’s Injury may Permanently Sideline him, According to the Latest Update.

Published

4 months ago

July 20, 2024

Salman

(CTN News) – Bo Bichette, the shortstop for the Toronto Blue Jays, left the game against the Detroit Tigers on Friday after six innings due to a strained right calf.

The game was played against the Tigers. In the end, the Blue Jays were defeated by a score of 5-4 by the opposing team.

Bo Bichette hit a line drive to right field in the bottom of the sixth inning, and it appeared that he injured his calf when he was sprinting to first base. The damage appeared to be caused by the line drive.

The calf that is causing the problem is the same one that Bo Bichette has been experiencing issues with throughout the entire season. After suffering a strain to his right calf fascia on July 10 while playing against the San Francisco Giants, he was forced to sit out the last four games before the All-Star break from the National Football League.

Because of the discomfort in his right calf, he has been out for nine games since then, and he did not return to action until the 24th of June.

Before the trade deadline on July 30, it is very clear that the Blue Jays will be deconstructed for pieces. It is fairly obvious that the Blue Jays have lost any possibility of winning in the American League East, which is a highly competitive division. Additionally, it is pretty certain that they will be disfigured for pieces.

Bo Bichette’s injuries could prevent him from being traded in the future.

However, it is probable that this injury will preclude him from participating in any further trade conversations. Recent trade rumors have stated that Bo Bichette could be a contender for a trade;

However, it is possible that this scenario will not occur. After an MRI was finished on Friday, Bo Bichette was placed on the injured list for a period of ten days. This list will remain in effect until that time.

Bichette will almost definitely be placed on the disabled list for a period of time that is longer than the minimum of ten days, even if the findings of the MRI come back negative. This is because of the recent spate of calf problems that have been occurring.

There is a lack of clarity on whether or not the Blue Jays would have been willing to trade Bo Bichette regardless of the ailment that he was suffering from.

It has been reported that Toronto has informed other clubs that they are not prepared to trade any players who are under their control beyond the year 2024.

Bo Bichette’s contract with the organization ends in 2025.

Additionally, Toronto has informed other teams for this reason. At the beginning of June, it seemed as though the general manager of the Blue Jays, Ross Atkins, was opposed to the concept of trading Bo Bichette while he was still on the team.

Bichette claimed in a recent comment that he would not be “surprised at all” if he were to be traded to a different team. He said this in reference to the possibility of being traded.

His batting average is even worse than it has ever been in his whole career.He has participated in 79 games so far this season, and he has a batting average of 223 and an on-base percentage of.597 to his name.

The two-time winner Despite the fact that the All-Star is having a challenging season, he would have a far higher chance of having a good season if he were to play for a team that was involved in a more intense level of competition.

On the other hand, it would appear that Bichette will not be participating in a game for a substantial amount of time, regardless of whether he is playing for the Blue Jays or for another team.

SOURCE: FS

Sports

Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau started disastrously at the British Open.

Published

4 months ago

July 18, 2024

Salman

(CTN News) – Forget about Rory McIlroy’s final opportunity to compete in a major tournament this year; the British Open may have been his final opportunity.

At present, his most promising prospect is to endure for an additional day. Bryson DeChambeau, the US Open champion, is also present.

On Thursday, Pinehurst No. 2 protagonists encountered Rory McIlroy’s additional complications as a result of an opposing wind that arrived at Royal Troon. McIlroy required two strokes to emerge from a deep hazard located just to the right of the 123-yard eighth hole, which is referred to as the “Postage Stamp.”

Rory McIlroy’s mallet sailed over the rails after three holes.

It culminated in a 7-over 78, which was his lowest major opening round in five years. “I just didn’t do a good enough job on that back nine, and the conditions were tough,” according to him.

DeChambeau was not significantly superior. He encountered difficulties in making par shots at the outset; on the fourth hole, a par-5, he even missed one from three feet.

The par-5 seventh hole resulted in a double bogey for him as he attempted to strike a 7-iron through dense grass, but the ball was only moved a short distance.

Following his 76, he proceeded to the range to evaluate his equipment and determine the reason for his ball’s failure to connect with the driver as anticipated.

He observed, “That day was unusual.” It is highly unlikely that either of them will forget their involvement in the morning wave or their role as the primary attraction following the U.S. Open.

Rory McIlroy was in complete control of his destiny and was leading by two strokes on the back nine before missing a 30-inch par putt on the 16th hole and another par putt from just within 4 feet on the 18th hole, which prolonged his 10-year major drought.

Making a putt from a bunker 55 yards away, DeChambeau secured his second U.S. Open victory. Rory McIlroy’s finale was so challenging that he departed Pinehurst No. 2 without expressing his gratitude to DeChambeau or expressing any sentiments.

McIlroy was optimistic about his form as he approached the final major of the year, following his tie for fourth at the Rory McIlroy Scottish Open last week. Conversely, the wind came from the opposite direction, disrupting the plans of both him and his colleagues.

On the shortened front nine, where high scores are possible, it was directly in their faces. Assistance was provided from the left on the longer back nine, which is challenging in any conditions. McIlroy was taken aback by the difficulty of the back nine, as Rory McIlroy had anticipated that it would be less difficult.

“The course was exceedingly challenging.” The circumstances are exceedingly difficult due to the wind that has yet to be observed this week. McIlroy stated that the wind dictated his strategy during the practice sessions.

However, according to him, “it starts to present different options and you start to think about maybe hitting a few clubs that you haven’t hit in practice when you get a wind you haven’t played in.”

“Just one of those days where I didn’t adjust to the circumstances well enough.” It was not a satisfactory conclusion to the round. Following his decision to play a driver off the 18th.

On the left, Rory McIlroy fired sideways due to a pot bunker.

He drove the wedge to a distance of Rory McIlroy approximately eight feet, made one final bogie, and missed one additional putt, indicating that there was still a significant amount of work to be done.

In order to survive the weekend, he declared, “I must improve my performance under those circumstances.” If not, I should endeavor to advance further on the leaderboard and feel as though I have a reasonable chance. McIlroy was ten strokes behind the lead when he finished, but he had hoped for a smaller margin.

Until he reached the par-5 16th, DeChambeau did not complete a hole below par. It is more accurate to describe him as a sluggish bleeding individual. That was the only positive aspect of the day. An eagle putt of 55 feet was executed on the 565-yard hole by him.

“I am satisfied with the way in which I maintained my composure today,” stated DeChambeau. It would have been so easy for me to give up at nine o’clock and declare, ‘I’m going home’.” No, sir. There will be an additional opportunity for me tomorrow. As I anticipate the assignment, I am eager to begin.

“I will be fine if I am able to make a few putts, hit a few shots, and figure out how to use the equipment.”

SOURCE: CT

Sports

France Reaches Euro 2024 Quarter-Finals with Late Own Goal Against Belgium

Published

4 months ago

July 2, 2024

Arsi2021

France Reaches Euro 2024 Quarter-Finals with Late Own Goal Against Belgium

(CTN News) – Jan Vertonghen’s late own goal advanced France to the quarterfinals of Euro 2024 at Belgium’s expense. A game that lacked quality and excitement for long stretches appeared destined for extra time, but a shot by replacement Randal Kolo Muani rebounded off Vertonghen with five minutes left to win the victory at Dusseldorf Arena.

France had previously missed multiple chances due to a lack of a cutting edge, and even captain Kylian Mbappe made efforts that would typically go wide.

Belgium could have seized the lead before France’s late goal when Manchester City midfielder Kevin de Bruyne sprinted into space through the middle, but Mike Maignan blocked his effort.

That was the only real opportunity for the underperforming Belgians, as France closed out the final few minutes to advance to the last eight, where they will meet Portugal or Slovenia.

Didier Deschamps’ team deserved to win, but the 2018 world champions will be relieved more than anything else after struggling to convert chances into goals once more.

They dominated play for long stretches but only had one effort on goal in the first half, Antoine Griezmann’s low strike from distance, which was well saved.

Mbappe is one of the world’s top forwards, but even he struggled when given a shooting opportunity, curling over in the second half after doing well to create space for himself.

France is through but still needs to improve.

In the end, they had 19 shots on goal, but only two were on target, and they are still waiting for their first goal from open play in Germany.

In a theme common to all of the bigger teams remaining in Euro 2024, France is struggling to play at the level they are capable of, but for the time being, they will relish being one step closer to the final.

Belgium was booed off the pitch by some fans after only drawing with Ukraine in their last group game, but their supporters were hopeful that they would improve their performance against the French.

However, they were once again overly cautious for extended periods, and their threatening moments were fleeting.

However, they should have punished France for their carelessness with De Bruyne’s effort in the dying moments, while Romelu Lukaku, who is leaving Euro 2024 without a goal, also saw a low shot saved in the second half.

Like Croatia, this has seemed like one last chance for Belgium’s ‘golden generation’, with players like De Bruyne and Lukaku in their 30s.

And, like Croatia, they will leave the tournament wondering whether this was a squandered chance to achieve what could have been with this set of players.

Source: BBC Sports