Thumbs down: Ryan Lochte deserves to be left at home next Olympics

Ryan Lochte may be one of the fastest swimmers in the world, but when it comes to rolling out apologies, he has to be one of the most clumsy. And he's still floundering.

In a statement posted over the weekend, Lochte apologized “for not being more careful and candid” in how he described what happened to him that night in Rio de Janeiro - the event that has dominated so much of the coverage of the final days of the Olympics. More careful? Really?

Lochte told the world through an interview on NBC that he and three other swimmers were robbed and that one of the culprits showed a badge and held a gun to his head. As it turns out, the truth was far different. After piecing together the facts about that early morning encounter, Brazilian police now say Lochte, along with fellow swimmers Jack Conger, Gunnar Bentz and Jimmy Feigen, allegedly vandalized a gas station bathroom after a night of drinking and a security guard pulled his gun when the swimmers attempted to flee without paying for the damages. In a follow-up interview on NBC, Lochte said he “over-exaggerated” some of the details. Over-exaggerated?

Why is it so hard for this guy to own up to the fact that this wasn't an exaggeration or lack of candor? It was a flat-out lie, one that unnecessarily maligned the city of Rio and its police department. To make matters worse, it was a distraction from the stand-out performances of many other Olympic athletes, including Santa Rosa's own Maya DiRado, who came away with four medals, including two gold.

It's small wonder that on Monday, Lochte lost some of his major sponsors including swimwear manufacturer Speedo and fashion label Ralph Lauren. He should also lose any opportunity to compete at the Olympics in Tokyo four years from now. This is one apology-challenged, ugly American who deserves to be left at home.