Olympics

Ryan Lochte was a man of few words after he learned he's being benched for 10 months.

Lochte was on a plane Wednesday afternoon when TMZ Sports broke the story about the USOC's decision to suspend him. When he landed at LAX he was stoic, declining to say if he felt the punishment was too harsh, especially given the 6 months Michael Phelps got for 2 DUIs.

He had more to say about "Dancing With the Stars" ... he has a bad case of the nerves, and says why.

Ryan Lochte just got his punishment for his Rio gas station hijinks, and we're told the U.S. Olympic Committee was tough, but not career-ending.

USOC-connected sources tell TMZ Sports ... Lochte has been suspended for 10 months. There are additional sanctions.

We're told the punishment was handed down not just by the USOC but by the IOC and USA Swimming as well.

The punishment is harsher than Michael Phelps' 6 month suspension for his 2 DUIs. The punishment was debated within the USOC, because Phelps put people's lives at risk and Lochte arguably didn't lie about a material fact. We're told some of the USOC decision makers felt Lochte's punishment was too severe.

The other 3 swimmers involved in the Rio incident were also suspended, but for less time. At least one of them got a 4 month suspension.

Here's a hurdle Edwin Moses is gonna have a tough time getting over ... his wife has filed for divorce and claims he's been cheating on her ... this according to documents obtained by TMZ Sports.

Moses is a U.S. Olympic legend -- who scored gold medals at the '76 and '84 Olympic Games, and is credited with revolutionizing the sport. He's now the chairman of USADA, the famed drug testing agency.

But Michelle Moses, his wife of 9 years, says the track and field star has been running around behind her back -- so, she filed divorce docs citing adultery and "cruel treatment."

It's clear in the docs Michelle is looking for serious coin from Edwin -- claiming she essentially managed his career over the past decade and is entitled to a significant cut of his earnings.

Hope Solo was being recorded at the moment she found out Team USA soccer was suspending her and terminating her contract for trashing Team Sweden ... and she was PISSED.

"Six month suspension, no pay, terminated contract effective immediately," Solo said while hugging her husband, Jerramy Stevens (ex-NFL player).

"17 f***ing years and it's over!"

Solo was being recorded for the Fullscreen documentary, "Keeping Score" -- which will air even more footage from the moment during the full episode.

Authorities in Rio really showed Ryan Lochte and his teammates who's the boss -- just ask Rio authorities, who are patting themselves on the back ... hard!

The Court of Justice in Rio believes its handling of Lochte-gate brought "international prestige" to its city and required "courageous action." We know this because the court actually fired off a statement to the media saying so.

Rio police similarly shouted out the efforts of Rio police ... saying they uncovered the "farce" of the Team USA swimmers' story.

The praise and adulation came 24 hours after Lochte was charged for lying to police -- a non-extraditable offense that Lochte has no intention of returning to Brazil to face.

Gisele might have the greatest gig as a supermodel, but the guy in charge of prepping her ass for the camera has gotta be a close second.

Gisele squeezed in a very wet photo shoot in Rio on the heels of the Olympics. She's officially retired from runway modeling, but thank God she's still posing for pics like these.

We're guessing the butt wrangler does NOT get hazard pay -- shouldn't be paid at all, really.

Ryan Lochte has just been formally charged in Brazil with filing a false police report stemming from the August 14th gas station incident ... and faces jail time if convicted.

Brazilian officials have already summoned the swimmer to Rio for a hearing on the incident -- but sources close to Lochte say there's no way in hell he'll go.

The charge is not an extraditable offense ... meaning he can't be forced to Brazil by American courts.

If convicted of filing a false police report, Lochte could face up to 6 months in jail. The likelihood is ... Lochte's lawyers will negotiate a fine similar to the one Jimmy Feigen paid -- $11k -- to charity, and the case will go away.

There could be a HUGE new star in the world of women's MMA -- because the U.S. Olympian who just won the gold medal in wrestling says she's open to the idea of getting in the cage.

We spoke with Helen Maroulis -- the 24-year-old phenom who dominated the world at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio -- and asked her straight up if MMA is in her future.

Maroulis made it clear wrestling is her main priority and first love ... but says a transition to MMA is definitely a possibility down the road.

The best part of the video ... Maroulis says she'll 100% return to the Olympics in 2020 to defend her title.

Ryan Lochte's endorsement comeback is underway ... he just signed a brand new deal with a throat drop company ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Lochte will team up with the Pine Brothers throat lozenge company, a rep confirms -- to be the face of a campaign that promotes the drops as "Forgiving On Your Throat."

Lochte will appear in print ads and a commercial.

Pine Bros. CEO Rider McDowell says, "We all make mistakes, but they're rarely given front-page scrutiny. He’s a great guy who has done incredible work with charities. I’m confident that Pine Bros. fans will support our decision to give Ryan a second chance."

We're guessing the campaign will include some comical references to Lochte's Brazil drama -- you know, since he's asking the public to forgive him for that whole thing.

Ryan Lochte will NOT be returning to Brazil -- despite the fact officials in Rio have reportedly summoned the swimmer to testify in front of the country's Justice Department ... sources tell TMZ Sports.

When Usain Bolt was getting his swerve on in a London nightclub this weekend, rapper Post Malone was RIGHT THERE partying alongside him ... and tells TMZ Sports, "It was awesome!"

Bolt has been on a tear with the ladies this past week -- despite the fact he's got a GF back home in Jamaica -- and Post saw the legend in action at Cirque le Soir club on Monday night.

"He's a ladies man," Malone said.

"Fastest man in the world ... even if the cops were chasing him, he could escape ... [if they were chasing him] in a vehicle. He fast as hell so he can do whatever he wants to do."

Malone -- the guy behind the hit "White Iverson" -- says he may FINALLY meet the NBA inspiration for his song ... but it's gonna be halfway around the world!

Check out the clip.

Not everyone on Team USA was thrilled with the super swanky floating hotel the squad stayed on in Rio ... DeMar DeRozan says he HATED the digs ... and would've rather shacked up in the Olympic village.

In case you forgot ... Team USA basketball stayed on board a RIDICULOUS cruise ship called the Silver Cloud in Brazil ... which featured a pool, gym, cigar lounge AND bar.

We got the newly crowned gold medalist out in L.A. and asked him a question normies all over the world want the answer to ... what was it like to live in that incredible floating mansion on the sea?

Check out the clip -- DeMar gives a typical rich guy answer ... claiming -- for good reason -- that the posh accommodations weren't all they were cracked up to be.

Hope Solo has just been benched by Team USA soccer for SIX MONTHS -- for trashing Team Sweden as a "bunch of cowards" after they beat the U.S. in an Olympic match earlier this month.

Attention, hot British actor Alex Roe -- GABBY DOUGLAS WANTS A PIECE!!!

For those unfamiliar, Roe's the super handsome 26-year-old star of that movie, "The 5th Wave" ... and Gabby likey.

In fact, when we saw the U.S. Olympic legend in NYC -- not only did she tell us she wants to work with the guy in front of the camera ... but she wants a crack at dat ass too!

Don't be stupid, Roe ... these kinds of opportunities don't come knocking down your door every day!!!!

Ryan Lochte has a strong ally -- Olympic legend Kerri Walsh Jennings who says people need to STOP treating the swimmer like a super-villain ... adding, "He's not a terrible person."

Here are Kevin Durant & DeAndre Jordan enjoying the spoils of their Olympic victory ... with a world champion day party turn up sesh in Mykonos.

After absolutely pummeling Serbia in the gold medal game, the guys headed over to Greece and proved once again that America is #1 ... at partying our faces off.

Check out the pics and vids ... and remember that some Americans don't have to tarnish a country's reputation to have a good time.