By MADISON BROWN
While Michael Phelps left the Rio Olympics as the most decorated Olympian of all time, the spotlight has been on another U.S. swimmer.
Ryan Lochte got into some trouble when he fabricated a story about being robbed at gunpoint while in Rio.
The news media blasted Lochte after he “over-exaggerated that story,” as Lochte told Matt Lauer in an NBC interview.
However, the news media are not the only place Lochte is facing backlash for the lie.
Rio police charged Lochte with falsely reporting a crime, and some of his sponsors dropped him. Speedo, Polo Ralph Lauren, Gentle Hair Removal and Airweave are among the companies that will no longer be working with Lochte.
According to CNN.com, Lochte is suspended from swimming competitively for 10 months, and will not be eligible for the 2017 world championship.
Meanwhile, “Dancing with the Stars” added Lochte as a cast member in their upcoming 23rd season. Apparently, there is no such thing as bad publicity.
“I think it’s time to hang up my Speedos and put on my dancing shoes,” Lochte said on Good Morning America when the cast was revealed.
That’s one way of looking at it, since he will not be allowed to wear his Speedos competitively anytime soon.