Lochte lucks out

LOCHTE (WITH BURKE, LEFT). Trying to cut his losses and rehabilitate his image.

Olympics swimming champion Ryan Lochte is the latest high-flying luminary to come crashing down and earn the public’s ire, instead of admiration.

He did it by admittedly “over-exaggerating” claims that he and three other US swimmers were robbed at gunpoint during the recent Olympics. CCTV and other video evidence subsequently showed what really happened, prompting or forcing Lochte to apologize.

However, the apology failed to mollify a number of people, including some of his product sponsors, who consequently rescinded some of his million-dollar endorsement deals. Ouch!

Like other luminaries who’ve been caught behaving less than stellarly, Lochte has tried hard to cut his losses and rehabilitate his image and reputation.

After apologizing and promising to become a better person, the first thing he did was to get rid of his silver-haired “rock star” look, in favor of his much darker natural hair color.

His stylists and handlers correctly sensed that the “real” Lochte would be easier for the public to forgive and eventually root for again, as opposed to the shined up and rocked up “silver” version.

Lochte’s next move was more unexpected: He signed up as a celebrity contestant on this season’s “Dancing With the Stars” TV talent tilt, with Fil-Am dancing sensation, Cheryl Burke, as his partner-choreographer.

The move came out of left field, but Lochte later shared that he had already agreed to make it even before the Olympics. As for the choice of Burke as his partner-mentor, she said it was her idea—she felt so badly for Lochte after his “disgrace” that she volunteered to help him get at least his dance act together.

Big plus

Since Cheryl has won the tilt several times in the past, with different celebrity partners, her help is a big plus for Lochte in his gambit to do so well in the popular dance tilt that viewers will get to like him more again.

Incidentally, Burke has been so successful on “Dancing With The Stars” that she’s become quite a celebrity herself. She’s now busy not just as an in-demand hoofer and choreographer, but in non-dancing fields of performance, as well.

Back to Lochte, the swimmer turned celebrity dance tilt contestant: Burke revealed in a pre-tilt interview that he was not a natural dancer, so she had to work really hard to make their first competition number in the tilt’s new season a truly grand entrance for him.

She did achieve her objective, but some protesters rained on the dancing couple’s otherwise bright parade by causing a disruption on the dance floor right after the number—so, cops had to effect some ejections and make some arrests!

Clearly, Lochte’s efforts to clean up his act and clear his name aren’t going to be a walk in the park—or an easy-breezy spin around the dance floor.

But, in terms of actual dance and entertainment value, their first number on the dance tilt got passing marks— so, they’re still in it to win it!