US SWIMMER RYAN Lochte has said he felt “hurt” after protesters interrupted his debut performance on Dancing with the Stars.
Two men were arrested after trying to storm the stage during the Olympic medallist’s appearance last night.
Lochte (32) was embroiled in controversy recently after it emerged he made up an armed robbery story while at the Rio Olympics.
Two men, wearing anti-Lochte T-shirts, were arrested on suspicion of criminal trespassing, Los Angeles police spokesman Liliana Preciado said.
They rushed the stage while Lochte was getting his scores during last night’s live installment of the celebrity dance competition. The altercation was not shown on screen.
Host Tom Bergeron later explained they were interrupted by “a little incident” and thanked the ABC series’ security team “for staying in shape”.
When asked about the incident on air, Lochte said: “So many things are going through my head right now.
“A little hurt, but you know I came out here, I wanted to do something that I’m completely not comfortable with and I did, and I came out here with a big smile.”
False story
Lochte claimed he and three of his teammates — all gold medal winners in Rio — were mugged by armed robbers pretending to be police after a night out.
Police said his account was untrue and the group had in fact been detained over the vandalisation of a gas station bathroom — apparently led by a drunken Lochte.
Lochte later admitted he was still intoxicated when he gave his initial account of the incident, adding: “I let my team down.” He was suspended for 10 months by Team USA and dropped by a number of sponsors.
Contains reporting from AP and © AFP 2016
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