Swimmer Ryan Lochte gets new sponsor after Speedo, others dump him

By The Associated Press

Swimmer Ryan Lochte has a new sponsor – Pine Bros. Softish Throat Drops – that says customers should give Lochte “a second chance” after a drunken incident during the Rio Olympics.

Lochte had lost four major sponsors Monday, including Speedo USA and Ralph Lauren, over what happened in Rio. Lochte initially said he and three swimming teammates were robbed after their taxi was pulled over by armed men posing as police. But video showed the athletes getting into a confrontation with armed security guards at a gas station. Lochte has apologized.

Pine Bros. said in a press release Thursday that people should be more understanding and forgiving of the swimmer. He will appear in ads that say the company’s products are “Forgiving On Your Throat.”


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Four sponsors drop Lochte after Rio incident
Lochte apologizes for not being more ‘candid’ about Rio incident
Ryan Lochte, three other U.S. swimmers robbed by armed men in Rio


Brazilian police charged Lochte on Thursday with filing a false robbery report.

A police statement said Lochte would be informed in the United States so he could decide whether to introduce a defence in Brazil.

The indictment will also be sent to the International Olympic Committee’s ethics commission, the statement said.

The swimmer’s spokeswoman, Melissa Nathan, said Lochte had no comment.

Under Brazilian law, the penalty for falsely filing a crime report carries a maximum penalty of 18 months in prison. Lochte could be tried in absentia if he didn’t return to face the charge.

The United States and Brazil have an extradition treaty dating back to the 1960s, but Brazil has a long history of not extraditing its own citizens to other nations and U.S. authorities could take the same stance if Lochte is found guilty.

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