Ryan Lochte left Rio 2016 as an Olympic gold medalist and a 12-time Olympic medalist. But within days, the “Lochtegate” turned into one of the most infamous Olympic scandals ever. It cost Lochte nearly $2 million financially, but left a “black hole” sized void emotionally as a celebratory trip turned into a regret-filled experience as the legendary swimmer recounts the experience a decade later.

After winning the Men’s 4×200m freestyle relay, he went out to celebrate with teammates and later stopped at a gas station, where a dispute broke out after property was damaged. Lochte later claimed to have been robbed at gunpoint. Soon thereafter, investigations revealed the robbery was fabricated. This damaged his reputation, leading to major sponsorship losses.

Now, nearly a decade later, the 12x Olympic medalist is opening up about how that period affected his life in ways that he is still processing. “It was the biggest wake-up call,” he said. “It was the biggest fall that I’ve ever had, and I fell into a black hole, and I couldn’t get out. And I tried to climb out, and then once I got out, I got knocked back down…It happened multiple times after 2016.”

Before Rio 2016, Ryan Lochte was one of the top swimmers in the world with 11 Olympic medals. During his time at his best, he racked up to $2.3 million in endorsement deals with companies such as Speedo, Ralph Lauren, Gillette, and Gatorade. However, following the Rio scandal, those deals were gone. Companies that parted ways with him include Speedo and Ralph Lauren. Later, he revealed the fallout cost him around $2 million annually in sponsorship income.

The whole scandal came to be known as “Lochtegate” and was one of the biggest scandals of the Olympics. When the legal proceedings got underway, Brazilian police accused Lochte of filing a false robbery report. However, he had returned to the U.S. before charges were filed, but later received a 10-month suspension from USA Swimming and the U.S. Olympic Committee. This forced him to miss major competitions, including a chance to qualify for the following year’s world championships.

The punishment did not stop there. Ryan Lochte forfeited $100,000 in medal bonuses, was removed from the U.S. Olympic team’s White House visit, and was ordered to complete 20 hours of community service. His teammates Jack Conger, Gunnar Bentz, and Jimmy Feigen also faced suspensions and disciplinary action.

Looking back now, Lochte says he was never prepared for the realities that came with fame, money, and failure. “No one ever taught me what happens when you become famous or when you get all this money,” he said. “No one ever told me about financial literacy. No one ever told me about when you’re on top of the mountain, and you fall, how to get back up. No one ever taught me that.”

Even Michael Phelps had warned him before the incident. “I did have a talk with him about two days before about not doing anything bad,” Phelps said after the Games. “I told him: ‘Just keep your head on straight. Have fun.”

The aftermath of scandals turning Olympic celebrations into sour experiences has been seen many times. Lance Armstrong, Marion Jones, and Ben Johnson were all stripped of their gold medals and lost million-dollar endorsements due to various doping cases.

After Rio, it was a long period of rebuilding both professionally and personally. Yet even after the setbacks, Ryan Lochte now says those experiences helped him learn lessons he hopes he can pass on to younger athletes to avoid making the same mistakes. “But now I did it,” he added. “I guess I was the guinea pig for myself, and now I can honestly change people’s lives. I can help them, make them reach their dreams, their goals that I once had when I was a little kid, and I could help them get there.”

But that was only the beginning of Ryan Lochte’s difficult journey after Rio.

Ryan Lochte’s post-Rio comeback was filled with more setbacks

Two years after the Rio Olympics controversy, Ryan Lochte faced another major setback. In July 2018, the USADA announced that he had accepted a 14-month suspension for receiving an intravenous infusion that violated anti-doping rules. The issue started after Lochte posted a photo on social media showing himself receiving IV treatment.

USADA subsequently stated that the substances that were used, such as vitamin B12, were not prohibited. The violation was in relation to the amount used in the infusion, which was allegedly in excess of the limit of 100 mL for 12 hours. The suspension also eliminated Lochte from big events.

Soon after, he resumed serious training in 2019/early 2020 and acknowledged that he had a problem with his drinking and depression and that he had lost his focus in the years following the scandal. He repeatedly spoke about wanting redemption and qualifying for a fifth Olympic Games.

There was another setback, though. The Tokyo Olympics were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic for one year in March 2020. Then it was hard for Ryan Lochte, who was already in the twilight hours of his career physically, as he would’ve turned 36 in 2021.

Still, by June 2021, Lochte arrived at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha for what many believed would be his final shot at making another Olympic team. The biggest focus was the Men’s 200-meter individual medley. At first, there was hope. Lochte advanced through the preliminaries, reached the semifinals, and qualified for the final. But in the final race, things fell apart. He finished seventh and missed out on the Olympic team.

After touching the wall, Ryan Lochte stayed alone in the pool for several moments while celebrations happened around him. Later, fighting back tears, he admitted: “I kind of let everyone down.” Now, years later, Lochte is beginning a completely different chapter in the sport. In May 2026, he joined the coaching staff at Missouri State University as an assistant coach under head coach Dave Collins.

Nearly a decade after Rio, Ryan Lochte is now trying to rebuild his life through coaching, hoping his journey can help younger athletes avoid the mistakes that once nearly ended his career.