U.S. swimmer Ryan Lochte and "at least one of his teammates" were held up at gunpoint in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday morning, Lochte's mother told USA Today's Rachel Axon.
Lochte and the teammates were confronted by people with guns and knives and had their wallets stolen but were unharmed, she explained.
The swimmers were in a cab on their way to meet with Brazilian swimmer Thiago Pereira, and the incident occurred when the cab stopped for gas.
Lochte's mother is relieved both her son and his teammate are fine. Lochte texted his mother afterward to let her know he was safe.
"I think they're all shaken up. There were a few of them," Ileana Lochte said to USA Today. "No, they were just, they just took their wallets and basically that was it."
According to the Associated Press, the IOC is vehemently denying the incident.
BREAKING: IOC spokesman: Report of swimmer Lochte robbed at gunpoint 'absolutely not true,' according to Lochte and USOC #rio2016
— AP Sports (@AP_Sports) August 14, 2016
Lochte's personal coach (and U.S. women's coach) David Marsh said via text to USA Today that Lochte "was not held up" and is looking into the details of the situation.
ESPN is reporting that IOC spokesman Mark Adams has been told by Ryan Lochte and the U.S. Olympic Committee that the story is false.
Howver, USOC spokesperson Patrick Sandusky later issued a statement confirming the robbery.
USOC statement confirming Ryan Lochte and 3 others were robbed pic.twitter.com/fwrloczPZS
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) August 14, 2016
Flavio Perez, a friend of Lochte, and Lochte's mother, confirmed the situation in depth to the Washington Post.
"Thiago Pereira and his wife Gabriela Pauletti were in Club France, the French house in Brazil, and they were celebrating the birthday of a friend in common," said Perez, Pereira's spokesman. "Lochte was also in the same place, commemorating the same birthday. Ryan and Thiago are friends. Thiago and his wife left earlier, they left alone, the two of them. Thiago and his wife went back to their hotel. Then Thiago, on finding out what happened, called Ryan. Ryan is well, and Thiago said that the robbery, according to Ryan, was in the taxi. The taxi was robbed."
Lochte earned a gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics in the 4x200 freestyle relay.
