Jack Conger Releases Statement, Blames Lochte's Vandalism For International Incident

The second of three U.S. swimmers who were with Ryan Lochte the night he claims they were pulled over by fake cops in Rio and “robbed” has released a statement and it, like the one issued previously by Gunnar Bentz, blames the four-time Olympian for getting them all into trouble in the first place.

Jack Conger’s statement, as published at SwimSwam:

Early Sunday morning I was with USA swimming teammates celebrating at the French House. Four of us took a taxi back to the Olympic Village, and on the way we pulled into a gas station to use the restroom, but ultimately relieved ourselves outside, for which I apologize. Ryan Lochte removed a poster from a nearby wall, which apparently alerted the gas station employees, leading to our being confronted by two armed security men. Although I cooperated with their requests while there was a heated exchange among others, at one point a weapon was pointed at me. Eventually, a man appeared who was able to translate for us, helping to defuse the situation. We paid some money to compensate them for the torn poster, and returned to the Village in a different taxi.

Conger and Bentz were the two swimmers whose flight home to the U.S. was interrupted by cops who pulled them off the plane for questioning. Lochte has since apologized for his role in the incident, but has yet to provide a version of events that squares with Conger and Bentz’s depictions.