Pics: Officials may have asked Scotty Lago to leave after racy pic scandal

Scotty Lago’s early departure from the Olympic Village may not entirely have been the snowboarder’s idea.

Lago was through competing and had planned to stick around for the closing ceremonies, but racy afterparty pics of Lago brandishing his bronze medal in a risque way over his halfpipe as a girl in a bar kissed it surfaced on the internet. Another picture shows the unnamed woman biting down on the medal as Lago, wearing a “Team USA” shirt, holds it. Lago apologized Friday to the U.S. Olympic Committee and U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association, and it was said the athlete decided to pack his stuff and leave.

However, TMZ reports that had Lago not cleared out, he would have been booted by officials anyway:

Lago offered up an apology after a mildly suggestive photo of him — using his bronze medal for snowboarding to score chicks — popped up on the Internet. He agreed to leave the Olympic Village on his own accord, but sources close to Lago tell TMZ he received an ultimatum from the U.S. Olympic Committee: either say you’re sorry and go … or get ejected from the Olympic Village.

TMZ also reports that Lago is under some sort of gag order preventing him from discussing the incident until March 3rd.

[TMZ]