Ryan Lochte seems ready to resume his chase for the gold on “Dancing with the Stars” in the wake of Monday’s shocking protesters incident.
The U.S. Olympic swimmer thanked his supporters and trumpeted his dedication to the reality dance competition Wednesday, two days after a pair of men wearing anti-Lochte T-shirts rushed the “DWTS” stage immediately following his performance.
“I want to thank my family, girlfriend, friends and fans for being so supportive of me after the incident on ‘Dancing with the Stars’ Monday night,” Lochte posted to Twitter. “When I was asked to do the show, the one thing that I kept hearing was that it was like joining a big family. After Monday’s incident, I now know what that means.”
The gold medalist then lauded his colleagues on the show including his partner Cheryl Burke before opening up about what it meant to him to be a member of the “Dancing with the Stars” team.
“I appreciate the opportunity to be a part of the show, and more than ever, I am dedicated to my new family and to working hard to do my best,” he concluded.
Monday’s episode of “DWTS” was interrupted when the two men charged the stage during the live broadcast. One of them made contact with Lochte and Burke as well as host Tom Bergeron while he was tackled to the ground by security.
The incident left Lochte, 32, with a slightly injured ankle, Burke told People.
Lochte, who was visibly flustered following the encounter, briefly addressed the incident on the show moments afterward.
“I’m doing good,” he said. “So many feelings are going through my head right now. A little hurt.”
Burke, meanwhile, issued a statement of her own Tuesday to express her concern for Lochte.
“My heart is aching for Ryan and his family. No one deserves that sort of behavior directed at them.”
— Ryan Lochte (@RyanLochte) September 14, 2016
The protest came weeks after Lochte lied about being mugged at gunpoint during the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
The two protesters were arrested for trespassing after being tackled to the ground on stage by security.
“What he did in Rio did not represent Americans well,” Barzeen Soroudi, 25, said in a video obtained by TMZ, noting that they never intended to hurt Lochte.
“I want the world to know, we want Americans to know that we don’t take what he did lightly,” he continued. “He embarrassed Americans on the world stage and this was our form of protesting it.”
