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Feigen Agrees To Make Donation To Brazilian Charity; Bentz And Conger Back In U.S.

U.S. swimmer Jimmy Feigen has "agreed to make an $11,000 donation" to a Brazilian charity called Reaction Institute "in an effort to resolve a dispute" over claims he and three other American swimmers were robbed that authorities believe were fabricated, according to J.J. Gallagher of ABCNEWS.com. Breno Melarango Costa, Feigen's lawyer in Rio, said that his client's passport "would be returned and he will be free to leave the country after the payment is made" (ABCNEWS.com, 8/19). USOC CEO Scott Blackmun in a statement late Thursday night said that swimmers Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger, who along with Feigen and Ryan Lochte were involved in the incident at a gas station early Sunday morning, "gave statements to police, had their passports returned 'and they recently departed Rio.'" Blackmun in the statement said, "We apologize to our hosts in Rio and the people of Brazil for this distracting ordeal in the midst of what should rightly be a celebration of excellence." USA Swimming Exec Dir Chuck Wielgus also released a statement Thursday in which he "chastised the four men for their behavior." Wielgus: “The last five days have been difficult for our USA Swimming and United States Olympic families. ... We do not condone the lapse in judgement and conduct that led us to this point. It is not representative of what is expected as Olympians, as Americans, as swimmers and as individuals." Wielgus "left open the possibility of punitive action against the four, promising a 'thorough review of the incident.'" Blackmun also stated that the swimmers "could be disciplined when a review is conducted after Olympic officials return" to the U.S. (USATODAY.com, 8/19). The WALL STREET JOURNAL notes the USOC's "remarkable apology -- two days after it said it was moving forward from the incident -- marked a turning point in a back-and-forth over what happened in a night out in Rio that has become a defining story line of a chaotic Olympics" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 8/19).

BREAKING FROM THE INITIAL STORY: Sergio Riera, a Rio attorney who is repping Bentz and Conger, said that the two "did not concur with the account of an armed robbery" that Lochte told to NBC on Sunday afternoon. Riera said, "They knew it was a lie. But they did not have to go public. They thought this would be forgotten. They did not think it would have a more serious consequence" (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 8/18). Lochte on Friday morning apologized in an Instagram post, writing he was sorry for "not being more careful and candid in how I described the events of that early morning" (THE DAILY). In Boston, Shira Springer reports Rio authorities on Thursday night indicted Lochte and Feigen "on charges of false reporting of a crime." Brazilian authorities "appeared angry" that the four swimmers "played on the perception that violent street crime is rampant" in the Olympic host city. Rio Police Chief Fernando Veloso said the swimmers’ story had “stained” the city. Springer notes typical punishment for making a false claim "is not severe." If found guilty, the swimmers "probably would pay a fine" and "would not serve jail time" (BOSTON GLOBE, 8/19). However, Veloso indicated that "none of the swimmers have been indicted" (L.A. TIMES, 8/19).

USOC FRUSTRATED BY DISTRACTION: CNBC's Jay Gray reports the scandal surrounding the swimmers has taken the "gloss" off of the performance by Team USA, which as of Friday morning had won a total of 100 medals, far outdistancing second-place China's 58. A lot of people around the team "are very frustrated that they’re having to deal with this and that it continues to linger here and that it didn’t have to happen.” USOC officials are “frustrated (and) they want the focus to be on the tremendous effort by so many athletes here." Gray: "Right now, it’s not” (“Worldwide Exchange,” CNBC, 8/19). NBC's Natalie Morales said Lochte and the other swimmers have "cast a dark shadow over there Games for a few days now," and what they did is "so embarrassing" ("Today," NBC, 8/19).

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