On Thursday, USA Swimming and the United States Olympic Committee announced that Lochte had been suspended for 10 months from domestic and worldwide competitions as punishment for lying about a supposed armed robbery at a gas station in Rio during the second week of the Olympics.
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It happened after the judges spoke about Lochte’s foxtrot routine with Cheryl Burke.
The two men were detained by security until police arrived to take them into custody, Los Angeles police spokesman Mike Lopez said.
The two protesters taken from the dance floor have been identified as Sam Sotoodeh, 48, and Barzeen Soroudi, 40. Four or five other women were removed from the audience after chanting against Lochte. The LAPD says that two men were arrested and booked for trespassing onto the stage. “A little hurt”, Lochte said, the Washington Post reports.
On the 23rd Season Premiere of “Dancing With The Stars” on ABC which aired on September 12, 2016 anti-Ryan Lochte protestors attempted to storm the stage as the swimmer was being addressed by the judges.
Lochte’s message on the show – where his appearance has been seen as part of an apology tour – had been that he is a changed man from the one who caused global drama by lying about getting robbed at gunpoint during the Summer Games in Rio.
The incident came as Lochte, widely reviled for lying about an altercation with gas station attendants during the Rio Olympics, is trying to waltz his way back into the nation’s heart.
“Dancing with the Stars” host Tom Bergeron addressed the interruption after the commercial break. When “DWTS” returned, Bergeron described the situation as “a little incident” and thanked the show’s security for “staying in shape”.
The athletes were subsequently sanctioned by United States swimming and Lochte was suspended for 10 months, meaning he will miss the 2017 World Championships. “It was really unnerving and again, I applaud our security team for making it very short”.
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The swimmer told Bergeron that “so many feelings are going through my head right now”.
