Olympic gold medalist Ryan Lochte recently announced that he would auction off three of the six gold medals he won with the United States Olympic swimming team between 2008 and 2016.

This week, the Olympic gold medalist clarified the reasoning behind the decision. “I never swam for the gold medals,” Lochte said in a statement posted to Instagram. “My passion has always been about being one of the best swimmers in the world. Those medals? They were just the cherry on top of an incredible journey.”

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The 41-year-old swimmer won more than 90 medals throughout his career, noting that the accomplishments symbolize achieving something few swimmers ever do. “I’ve given away medals to fans and young kids in the stands because it’s never been just about me,” Lochte said. “It’s about inspiring the next generation and helping them chase their dreams.”

Lochte has previously sold several of his medals, including in 2022, when all proceeds were donated to charity. That auction raised $195,000 for the Jorge Nation Foundation, an organization that sends sick children on dream vacations. The proceeds from this year’s auctions are also being donated to charitable causes.

Lochte also addressed comments regarding his relationship with his estranged wife, Kayla Reid Lochte, from whom he separated in June after seven years of marriage.

“Every day, I woke up to be belittled and reminded of my constant failures, day in and day out,” he wrote on Instagram, “until I was eventually kicked out of our family home.”

He later added that he understands his comments have drawn criticism. “I understand that my words have sparked a lot of backlash, and I want to express that my intention was never to hurt anyone, but to share my honest feelings,” Lochte said. “There’s a lot happening behind the scenes that I’ve chosen to keep private to protect my kids.”

U.S. Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte is no stranger to controversy and not-so-smart decision making, especially following the scandal at the 2016 Olympics in Rio, in which he lied about being robbed when in actuality he had drunkenly vandalized a local gas station. The act caused him to lose sponsorships and resulted in a 10 month ban, and it looks like things are only getting worse following an ill-advised social media post.

Lochte posted a picture of himself receiving a substance from an IV on May 24. After an investigation by the US Anti-Doping Agency, it was deemed that the substance itself, a specific sort of Vitamin-B complex, was legal, but that Lochte had exceeded the legal limit of 100 milliliters. As is the case, the USADA has banned Lochte from competitive swimming for 14 months, stemming from this past May and continuing on to July of 2019.

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Lochte issued a statement in which he said, “It’s devastating to my family about this because I definitely made myself a better person after Rio, and I was back in training. I was feeling good. I was swimming fast. My son being born. Everything was happening. Everything was perfect, and then this happened. And it’s devastating. As soon as you get to a certain point or level, in any kind of sport career, you’re always going to have an eye on you. I think I’ve learned it the hard way. Definitely. Especially since Rio. And now this.”

The 12-time Olympic medalist claims to have not been aware of the rule, stating that it was a “newer” one. He’s not entirely wrong, as it was instituted back in 2012, but the ironic part is that the current rule actually upped the allowed amount of the substance from 50 milliliters to 100 milliliters. So even if he weren’t aware of the new rule, the old one would have seen him incur an even more drastic violation.

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Lochte said, “It’s a hard sanction because I didn’t take anything illegal, but a rule is a rule. I wasn’t too clear on the rules, but now I am. And I know there’s other athletes that don’t know this rule. I want to help them and make sure that other athletes don’t make the same mistake I did.”

He also promised to change his social media habits, saying “I’m just going to post on my son and my wife, leave everything else out.”

Due to the suspension, Lochte will miss this August’s Pan Pacific Championships, as well as the 2019 World Aquatics Championship. However, he does plan on swimming in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, at which point he will be 36-years-old.

Ryan Lochte and his fiancée, Kayla Reid, welcomed a baby boy into their family on Thursday, said the Olympic swimmer via Twitter.

The 12-time Olympic medalist and Reid welcome Caiden Zane Lochte into the world, who was reported to be in healthy condition upon his birth, according to a representative.

https://twitter.com/RyanLochte/status/872826794403143682

Lochte, 32, and Reid, 25, made the announcement about the pregnancy in December, two months after their engagement.

It has been a big week for Lochte, who recently opened up to ESPN in a very emotional about the incident that occurred in Rio during the 2016 Summer Olympics. Lochte, one of the most decorated swimmers ever behind Michael Phelps, was involved in an incident at a gas station with three other teammates after a night of partying. He also downplayed comments from the interview that motioned him contemplating suicide after being involved in a scandal that rocked Rio.

Ryan Lochte lost three major sponsors after swimsuit giant Speedo USA, retail company Ralph Lauren and skin-care firm Syneron-Candela announced in rapid succession early Monday that they were dropping the swimmer in the wake of his involvement in drunken incident at the Rio Olympics that he initially and falsely described as an armed robbery.

Speedo And Two Other Sponsors Drop Ryan Lochte After Rio Scandal

Speedo USA, the first of the three companies to announce they were severing ties with the 32-year-old American swim star, also said it would donate $50,000 of Lochte’s fee to Save The Children to benefit needy youngsters in Brazil.

“While we have enjoyed a winning relationship with Ryan for over a decade and he has been an important member of the Speedo team, we cannot condone behavior that is counter to the values this brand has long stood for,” the prominent swimsuit company said in a brief statement. “We appreciate his many achievements and hope he moves forward and learns from this experience.”

Ralph Lauren and Syneron-Candela, released their own similar statements shortly afterwards.

“Ralph Lauren continues to proudly sponsor the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Team and the values that its athletes embody,” said Ralph Lauren, which provided the Polo-branded attire worn by the American team at the opening and closing ceremonies. “Ralph Lauren’s endorsement agreement with Ryan Lochte was specifically in support of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and the company will not be renewing his contract.”

Syneron-Candela offers a line of skin-treatment products that are used for body contouring, wrinkle reduction, acne and vein care, and tattoo removal.

“We hold our employees to high standards, and we expect the same of our business partners,” the company said. “We wish Ryan well on his future endeavors and thank him for the time he spent supporting our brand.”

Lochte also issued a brief statement through his public relations firm relaying his lengthy relationship with Speedo.

“I respect Speedo’s decision and am grateful for the opportunities that our partnership has afforded me over the years,” he said. “I am proud of the accomplishments that we have achieved together.”

The swimmer originally claimed he and three of his other teammates had been robbed after their taxi was pulled over by armed men who presented themselves as policeman in the early morning hours of Sunday, Aug. 14, the day after the swimming competition ended in Rio de Janeiro.

Lochte has since apologized for lying about the actual events that took place that night, events which involved him and his teammates drunkenly showing up at a gas station in Rio thanks to the taxi that drove them from their party at the French house earlier that night. There, the four swimmers urinated on several parts of the premises, while Lochte himself caused damage to a bathroom door, took down a sign and even got into a fight with a security guard– all according to video surveillance footage and witness testimonies from the gas station owner and others, including Lochte’s teammates.

The U.S. Olympic Committe and USA Swimming have stated that Lochte will be punished, perhaps by being forbidden to compete in a fifth Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2020. He could also potentially face criminal charges in Brazil, where the other swimmers– Jimmy Feigen, Jack Conger and Gunner Bentz– were initially barred from leaving the country until they were interviewed by authorities. Conger and Bentz were actually detained on their flight home.

Feigen wound up donating just under $11,000 to a Brazilian nonprofit sports organization to settle any potential legal action.

Lochte, in an initial interview with NBC, said that “these guys came out with a badge, a police badge, no lights, no nothing, just a police badge, and they pulled us over. 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.’” He went on to say he was robbed of money and his wallet.

That version quickly unraveled when police said the swimmers never reported the incident to authorities and that there was scant evidence of a robbery.

In his most recent interview with NBC, which was taped in New York and began airing last weekend, Lochte said he was “very intoxicated” during the incident and takes “full responsibility” for his actions. He also apologized in an interview with Brazil’s main broadcaster, Globo.

“I over-exaggerated the story,” he told NBC. “If I had never done that, we wouldn’t be in this mess.”

Lochte finished fifth in the 200-meter individual medley, far behind longtime rival Michael Phelps, but he did help Phelps and the Americans win gold in the 4×200 freestyle relay.

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – AUGUST 12: Ryan Lochte of the United States attends a press conference in the Main Press Center on Day 7 of the Rio Olympics on August 12, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Matt Hazlett/Getty Images)

The American Olympic swimmers who claimed they were robbed at gunpoint  early Sunday morning by Brazilians posing as police officers fabricated their account of the incident, according to local investigators.

Ryan Lochte And U.S. Swimmers Vandalized Rio Gas Station, Got In Fight, Brazilian Reports Say

After viewing video footage and hearing testimony from witnesses, the Brazilian police have assessed the incident involved the four U.S. male swimmers, which included three-time Olympian Ryan Lochte, causing damage to a bathroom door at a gas station where the swimmers stopped Sunday morning on the way back to the athletes’ village from a party at the French hospitality house.

A Brazilian police official who had reviewed the video images stated there had been no armed assault, contrary to what the Olympians alleged. The official declined to be identified because the investigation is ongoing.

Two of the swimmers, Jack Conger and Gunnar Bentz, were pulled off their flight bound for the United States overnight and had their passports seized as the episode quickly spiraled into a diplomatic affair in the waning days of the Rio Games.

Some news organizations have reported that one of the swimmers got into an altercation with a security guard, although no evidence of any kind of this has yet been found.

Brazilian daily newspaper O Globo cited the owner of the Barra da Tijuca gas station as saying that the Olympians had thrown stones at the business and torn one of its signs before urinating in the street that morning.

“They stopped next to the gas station, and urinated outside right next to the gas station,” said the owner, who the newspaper stated chose to remain unnamed. We even have images of one of the athlete’s butts, as he is pulling up his pants.”

CNN has viewed the footage but cannot confirm its authenticity. The network has reached out to police and attorneys for the swimmers for comment on the report but has not received any responses.

Someone at the gas station called the police, but by the time a police car arrived at the scene, the swimmers were gone. Witnesses, including a person who offered to translate for the swimmers, said that they paid money to the manager before leaving.

Brazilian authorities said they have questions about what happened early Sunday and have concerns over inconsistencies in the accounts of the events. Many policemen in Rio reportedly believe there was no robbery.

Jeff Ostrow, Lochte’s lawyer, waived off suggestions of conflicting stories, stating the four swimmers’ accounts “are 95 percent consistent.”

On Sunday, Lochte gave a terrifying account of the alleged robbery to NBC, which is broadcasting the Olympics in the United States. The 32-year-old swimmer said his and his three teammates’ taxi was pulled over and men flashed a police badge at the Americans before forcing them to the ground. After Lochte refused to get down, he said one of the assailants cocked a gun and pressed it against his head.

However, Lochte slightly changed his account Wednesday, NBC reported, saying he and his teammates were robbed after using a toilet at a gas station. Lochte said two men tried to force them to the ground, one pointing a gun inches from him when he refused.

A Brazilian judge issued an order Wednesday to impede Ryan Lochte and James Feigen– two of the four American swimmers who stated they were robbed at gunpoint during the Olympics on Sunday– from leaving the country as suspicions emerged over their testimony of the incident.

Brazilian Judge Orders Ryan Lochte and James Feigen To Stay In Country

However, 12-time Olympic medalist Lochte had already left Brazil before the judge issued the order to seize his and Feigen’s passports, according to Mr. Lochte’s lawyer in the United Staes. It was not immediately known whether Mr. Feigen, 26, was still in Brazil.

Mr. Lochte, 32, had claimed that he, Mr. Feigen and two other American swimmers–Jack Conger, 21, and Gunnar Bentz, 20– were robbed at gunpoint early Sunday by men who identified themselves as police officers, though many believe they may have simply been posing as policeman. The four swimmers were caught in the incident after departing in a taxi from a party at Club France, a temporary venue set up to promote France during the Games.

Investigators have not yet discovered evidence corroborating the account, according to local news reports. Thus, the judge was prompted to issue the order.

“You can see the supposed victims arriving without signs of being physically or psychologically shaken, even joking amongst themselves,” Judge Keyla Blanc de Cnop said in a statement, referring to video of the swimmers arriving back at the Olympic Village after the party.

During the robbery, one of the bandits was said to have put a gun to Lochte’s forehead.

Police arrived Wednesday morning at the Olympic Village to take the swimmers’ passports and gather further testimony from them regarding the alleged robbery, US Olympic Committee spokesman Patrick Sandusky said.

Nevertheless, the athletes were not there.

“The swim team moved out of the village after their competition ended, so we were not able to make the athletes available,” Sandusky said in a statement, adding that the committee would “continue to cooperate with Brazilian authorities.”

 Sandusky added that due to security protocols, he could not disclose the swimmers’ whereabouts.

Mr. Lochte’s lawyer, Jeff Ostrow, rejected claims that his client and the three other swimmers may have fabricated details of the incident, calling such assertions efforts by Brazilian officials to deflect criticism of the many problems facing the Rio Games.

“The country has a dark cloud over it for a million and one reasons, from their economy to their crime to their management of the Olympics,” said Mr. Ostrow, who is based in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and attended the Games last week. “My client has cooperated thoroughly with the Brazilian authorities and stands behind his statement.”

 “He sat for a victim interview with the Brazilian Tourist Police, USOC Security, State Department, FBI, and anyone else that the Brazilian authorities requested to be present,” Ostrow also told CNN. “He left for the United States as he was planning to after he completed his events. He was not asked by the Brazilian authorities to remain in Brazil for further investigation.

After 13 years of battling each other in the pool, Ryan Lochte and Michael Phelps will face off, perhaps for the final time, tonight in the final round of the 200 meter individual medley at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha, Nebraska.

Ryan Lochte, Michael Phelps Stage Showdown In Finals Of 200 IM

Lochte, an 11-time Olympic medalist has yet to qualify to compete in any individual events at the Rio Games next month.

LOCHTE BEATS PHELPS TO SET WORLD RECORD

A groin injury kept Lochte from the 400 IM, after he won gold in the event at the London Games in 2012. His fourth place finish in the 200 freestyle wasn’t enough to cinch a spot for Rio and he dropped out of the qualifying race for the 200 meter backstroke.

Two of the most decorated active athletes in American sport will signal the end of an era regardless of who reaches the the apex of the podium tonight.

Phelps, 32, has already declared he will retire after the close of the Rio Games.

“A hundred percent (Rio will be) the last one,” Phelps told reporters at a press conference back in December 2015. “This is 100 percent. We now have a kid coming and we’re building a family so I am stepping away and taking time to be with my family.”

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Lochte, 31, is currently the world record holder in the 200 IM, after finishing with a time of 1 minute, 49.63 seconds at the World Championships in 2011, according to the Olympian’s website.

He finished just ahead of Phelps in the semifinal heat Thursday, coming in at 1 minute, 56.71 seconds, while Phelps clocked in at 1:57.61.

“It means a lot,” Lochte said of the final showdown between the two. “I’ve been racing him in this event since, like, 2003. He’s a tough competitor. I just love racing against him because it’s a challenge.”

Lochte secured a spot on the Olympic roster in the 4x200m freestyle relay, but has yet to qualify in any individual events. The 100m fly presents another opportunity for Lochte, but he has far better chances to qualify for the event in which he’s held the world record for five years.

“Tomorrow night will definitely be a good battle between me and Michael,” Lochte said Thursday.

Phelps expects nothing less.

The most decorated Olympian in the history of the sport has already qualified in the 200m fly, but he is hungry to heap berths in the 100 fly and 200 IM for good measure.

Either way, it really boils down to one race.

“Him and I have gone back and forth a number of times in this race,” Phelps said of Lochte. “We’re going to be out and probably step on the gas a little bit more than we have in the past, and you’ll have an exciting race.”