Nicole Johnson, fiance of Olympic demigod Michael Phelps and mother to their baby, was predictably frustrated by all the negative coverage surrounding Ryan Lochte at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
In an interview with Cosmopolitan magazine, she expressed sadness that the actions of Lochte, the other swimmers and the media detracted from the good things that happened in Rio.
“I think it’s really sad that it took away from the other athletes that were there and worked so many years to get there,” Johnson said. “That’s from what Ryan did and that’s from what the media did. The media didn’t need to give it as much airtime as it had. They should have paid more attention to what was going on and continued to praise what happened the first week versus shifting stories and looking at what Ryan did so much.”
Johnson also related her first thoughts when she heard what Lochte and the other swimmers had done, saying “Why in the heck were you out in Rio like this?”
The dangers of going out on the town late at night had been highlighted emphatically to all the Olympians. Johnson lamented that those negative aspects were highlighted more than all the love and support her and Phelps received, along with baby Boomer.
“Rio was amazing. They did a phenomenal job at keeping things safe for everyone and making sure the athletes were very well taken care of, including the families. The number of fans Michael and Boomer had, they’re very loving people. It’s a shame they’ve been painted in such a negative light because of what Ryan did.”
The Lochte situation is still ongoing. At one point, Brazilian judges had ordered his passport seized, along with the passports of the three other swimmers, and they were ordered to remain in the country.
Lochte had already bolted, however. And his latest contribution to the situation is to criticize Rio police for their “absurd” version of the events that transpired. Needless to say, given the corporate sponsorships lost in the aftermath, Lochte is feeling the burn at this point.