Gunnar Bentz says he never lied about robbery in Rio

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Saturday, August 20, 2016

American swimmer Gunnar Bentz is back home, and he says he never lied about being robbed while out in Rio de Janeiro with teammates on the final night of Olympic swimming.

In a statement released late Friday, he says he never saw anyone break down a bathroom door, and that the swimmers relieved themselves on nearby bushes after a night out.

He says teammate Ryan Lochte tore a sign down from the building, and then the four returned to their taxi.

He says they were ordered out of the cab by security guards and ultimately forced, with guns drawn, to sit on a nearby sidewalk. He says then, Lochte got up and yelled at the guards.

A translator assisted and told them they needed to pay money to leave, Bentz says. He and teammate Jimmy Feigen paid about $50 in total, and he says the guns were lowered and they were allowed to leave.

The version provided by the translator, 38-year-old Fernando Deluz, said a gun wasn't pointed at them during the encounter

Bentz also says there were additional video angles that support his account that may not have been released.

Feigen is on a flight that left Rio on Friday night.Before he was allowed to leave, Feigen agreed to pay $10,800 to a Brazilian charity.

Lochte apologized on Friday for his behavior related to the incident, saying he should have been more "careful and candid" about how he described what happened.

Information from The Associated Press was included in this report.

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