Timeline: Events in Lochte, U.S. swimmers' incident in Brazil
— -- When the mother of United States Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte told the media -- after a phone conversation with her son -- that Lochte had been robbed at gunpoint, the situation began to spiral out of control:
Saturday (Aug. 13): Olympic indoor swimming events conclude.
Sunday (Aug. 14): Lochte's mother, Ileana Lochte, tells USA Today that her son was robbed at gunpoint in Rio de Janeiro.
Sunday (Aug. 14): Lochte tells NBC that he and fellow U.S. swimmers Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger and James Feigen were robbed early that morning at gunpoint -- while sitting in a taxi -- by men posing as police.
Sunday (Aug. 14): The U.S. Olympic Committee releases a statement with the swimmers' account of events. The statement says the athletes are safe and cooperating with authorities.
Sunday (Aug. 14): An International Olympic Committee spokesman initially says reports of the robbery are untrue, then reverses and apologizes, indicating he was relying on earlier incorrect information from the USOC.
Tuesday (Aug. 16): A Brazilian police official tells The Associated Press that authorities can't find the taxi driver or witnesses, and that the swimmers were unable to provide key details in police interviews.
Tuesday (Aug. 16): Lochte tells USA Today that the swimmers didn't initially report the incident to the IOC "because we were afraid we'd get in trouble."
Tuesday (Aug. 16): Lochte's attorney, Jeff Ostrow, reiterates that the robbery did occur and says Lochte has returned to the U.S.
Wednesday (Aug. 17): A Brazilian judge orders the seizure of Lochte's and Feigen's passports. The U.S. State Department issues a statement encouraging those involved to cooperate with Brazilian law enforcement.
Wednesday (Aug. 17): Brazilian authorities pull Bentz and Conger off a plane at the Rio airport, preventing them from leaving the country. Feigen tells USA Today he remains in Rio and is cooperating with authorities. A police source tells ESPN Brasil the swimmers were interviewed at the airport, with a Brazilian lawyer and representatives from the USOC and the U.S. Consulate present.
Thursday (Aug. 18): A Brazilian police official tells The Associated Press that Lochte fabricated the account of the robbery.
Thursday (Aug. 18): A Brazilian official tells the AP that Conger and Bentz confirmed Lochte fabricated the story.
Thursday (Aug. 18):?According to an ABC News report,?Brazilian police have recommended that Lochte and Feigen be indicted on charges of falsely reporting a crime.
Thursday (Aug. 18):USOC apologizes "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."
Friday (Aug. 19): In a post on Instagram, Lochte apologizes for his role in the incident. "I waited to share these thoughts until it was confirmed that the legal situation was addressed and it was clear that my teammates would be arriving home safely," he wrote.