In an interview set for on Monday’s Ellen DeGeneres Show, disgraced Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte discusses the Rio controversy and his decision to compete on Dancing With the Stars.
Lochte confirms that he had decided to join Dancing with the Stars about a month before the Rio incident. The United States Olympic Committee and USA Swimming have since handed down a 10-month suspension and banned him from competing in the 2017 world swimming championships. He considered dropping out of the reality show, but his family and friends convinced him to compete.
Dancing with the Stars 23 Spoilers: Week 1 Dance Styles and Song Choices
“I’ve been swimming my entire life and I’ve never taken a break,” he says. “And for someone telling me that I can’t do something that I’ve been doing my entire life, I mean, it’s heartbreaking and it stinks. But, you know, I definitely know there’s so much more I want to accomplish in the sport of swimming. So, I’m going to be training, and when I do come back I’m definitely going to be a better swimmer, a better person.”
At one point he reached out to fellow swimmer Michael Phelps, who endured a rough patch of his own, for some honest advice.
Watch the preview of his interview below.
Bonus Video: More with Lochte on Access Hollywood
https://youtu.be/21mmcu5NOzU
