Brennan: Ryan Lochte robbery has put these Olympics on edge

RIO DE JANEIRO – The tenuous relationship between this beautiful but troubled city and the Summer Olympic Games took a turn for the worse Sunday when U.S. gold medalist Ryan Lochte said robbers posing as police pointed a gun at his head and took his money, while three other U.S. swimmers with him were forced to lie on the ground by their assailants and also were robbed.

Suddenly, the 2016 Olympic Games had changed dramatically. A week of conversation about green pool water and lost buses seemed almost quaint compared to what was now going to come:

Serious concern for the thousands of athletes, their events now complete, who are going to tour and celebrate in a city of 6.5 million in which indiscriminate street crime is the stuff of legend.

While sports go on and medals are being won, these are now a Games on edge.

Ryan Lochte releases statement after being robbed at gunpoint

The first week of these Olympics had been mostly a surprise, and a triumph. Billed as the least-prepared Olympic host city ever, Rio faced months of worldwide scrutiny over its dirty water, unfinished infrastructure, budget woes and, of course, Zika.

The first days of these Games defied all dire predictions. If alarmingly green water in the diving and water polo pools was the worst of Rio’s problems, these Olympics were off to a refreshingly good start. Headlines were dominated by the exploits of Michael Phelps, Katie Ledecky, Simone Biles and others as the United States took a big lead in the medal count.

There was one troubling incident when two windows were shattered on a bus carrying members of the media last Wednesday. Brazilian officials and the International Olympic Committee stood by their account that the damage was caused by rocks apparently thrown at the bus, while passengers on the bus were certain they heard gunshots.

Then came early Sunday at about 4:30 a.m., when Lochte and three other American swimmers -- Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger and Jimmy Feigen – left a party at France House, one of the many gathering places around the city hosted by various national Olympic committees, and hopped into a cab. All were believed to be wearing their U.S. Olympic team gear and their Olympic credentials.

Lochte told NBC that a group of men impersonating the police pulled over their taxi, pulled out guns and told the four swimmers to get down on the ground.

“I refused,” Lochte said. “I was like, ‘We didn’t do anything wrong, so I’m not getting down on the ground. And then the guy pulled out his gun, he cocked it, put it to my forehead and he said, ‘Get down,’ and I put my hands up, I was like ‘whatever.’ He took our money, he took my wallet. He left my cell phone, he left my credentials.”

Australia bans athletes from Rio beaches at night

U.S. Olympic Committee spokesman Patrick Sandusky confirmed the robbery and said all four athletes are safe and cooperating with authorities.

“Our security remains in place and we continue to encourage our athletes to use Games transportation,” Sandusky told USA TODAY Sports Sunday evening.

The Australian Olympic Committee went farther, banning its athletes from going to the popular Ipanema and Copacabana beaches from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. each day.

But with thousands of athletes, including hundreds of Americans, now flooding into the city day and night, and with the Olympic transportation system running on an often unreliable schedule, it’s likely many will do what Lochte and his teammates did, and take taxis or Uber.

So the Rio Games lurched into their second week accompanied by a growing sense of unease and caution, the story of four Americans celebrating a night on the town only serving to confirm their ever-present air of vulnerability.

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