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Ryan Lochte: Speedo and Ralph Lauren end sponsorship | Ryan Lochte: Speedo and Ralph Lauren end sponsorship |
(35 minutes later) | |
The swimwear manufacturer Speedo and fashion label Ralph Lauren are dropping their sponsorship of the disgraced US Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte. | The swimwear manufacturer Speedo and fashion label Ralph Lauren are dropping their sponsorship of the disgraced US Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte. |
The companies made their announcements after Lochte lied about being robbed at gunpoint by a policeman after a night out during the Rio Olympics. | The companies made their announcements after Lochte lied about being robbed at gunpoint by a policeman after a night out during the Rio Olympics. |
Speedo said: "We cannot condone behaviour that is counter to the values this brand has long stood for." | Speedo said: "We cannot condone behaviour that is counter to the values this brand has long stood for." |
Lochte said he respected Speedo's decision and thanked the company. | |
"I am grateful for the opportunities that our partnership has afforded me over the years,'' he said. | |
A third sponsor, a hair removal company called Syneron Candela, has also cancelled its sponsorship of the swimmer. | |
Ralph Lauren, which has removed some of Lochte's images from its website, said its sponsorship had been only for the Rio Olympics and would not be renewed. | Ralph Lauren, which has removed some of Lochte's images from its website, said its sponsorship had been only for the Rio Olympics and would not be renewed. |
Speedo said it would donate a $50,000 portion of Lochte's sponsorship fee to the charity Save The Children's Brazilian operation. | Speedo said it would donate a $50,000 portion of Lochte's sponsorship fee to the charity Save The Children's Brazilian operation. |
The value of Lochte's Speedo sponsorship has not been disclosed. The contract reportedly expires this year after 10 years. | |
The US business magazine Forbes calculated that in the year of the 2012 London Olympics, Lochte earned about $2m in sponsorships from companies such as Gillette, Nissan, AT&T and Gatorade. | The US business magazine Forbes calculated that in the year of the 2012 London Olympics, Lochte earned about $2m in sponsorships from companies such as Gillette, Nissan, AT&T and Gatorade. |
Lochte's performance at Rio did not reach the heights of his London triumph, but Forbes estimated his endorsements would still have been between $1m-$2m. | Lochte's performance at Rio did not reach the heights of his London triumph, but Forbes estimated his endorsements would still have been between $1m-$2m. |
Disdain | Disdain |
The saga started when Lochte and three team-mates returned to the Olympic village after a late night out in Rio. | |
They tried, unsuccessfully, to use the locked toilet at a garage and urinated outside instead. | |
After first claiming that he and his three team-mates had been robbed by bogus policemen, Lochte back-tracked and admitted he had, while still drunk, "left details out" and "over-exaggerated some parts of the story". | |
Despite the evidence against him, including CCTV footage, he has however denied that he actually lied in his initial account to Brazilian police. | |
Lochte's behaviour has been met with disdain in the US and he has been widely pilloried in the US media. | Lochte's behaviour has been met with disdain in the US and he has been widely pilloried in the US media. |
On 19 August the New York Post carried a front-page headline describing him as the "Ugly American", along with the slogan "Liar, Liar, Speedo on fire". | On 19 August the New York Post carried a front-page headline describing him as the "Ugly American", along with the slogan "Liar, Liar, Speedo on fire". |
Lochte is one of the most successful swimmers in history, with 12 Olympic medals, and he once had his own reality television show in the US. | |
In Rio, he swam in two events, winning a gold medal in the 4x200m freestyle relay along with team-mate Jack Conger. | |
"We appreciate his many achievements and hope he moves forward and learns from this experience," Speedo said of Lochte. | "We appreciate his many achievements and hope he moves forward and learns from this experience," Speedo said of Lochte. |
The swimmer's other sponsors include mattress maker Airweave. | The swimmer's other sponsors include mattress maker Airweave. |