How will Ryan Lochte, Laurie Hernandez fare on DWTS?
Handicapping the athletes on Season 23 of Dancing with the Stars, whose cast was announced Tuesday. The season starts Sept. 12 (8 p.m. ET/PT).
- Ability: Laurie Hernandez, Calvin Johnson and tossup with Ryan Lochte and James Hinchcliffe.
- Interest: Ryan Lochte, Ryan Lochte, Ryan Lochte and Laurie Hernandez.
- Question: Will Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte be this season’s Lolo Jones? The potential is there for a stiff and stunningly bad debut and a one-night stand as Jones, a former Summer and Winter Olympian, did in season 19. Athletic ability does not necessarily transfer to the dance floor. At the same time, sitting in a race car does not mean you have no moves, as IndyCar driver Helio Castroneves showed when he won in 2007, so IndyCar driver Hinchcliffe has that going for him.
Clearly, the producers want Lochte around (as do viewers who either can’t wait for a train wreck or yearn for the redemption story). He is paired with two-time winner Cheryl Burke, who has not participated since season 19. She has eight other top-five finishes and is a fan favorite, for her ability and likely for her skimpy outfits (hey, it’s network TV; you gotta compete with cable somehow; and in fairness. the producers find plenty of chances to showcase the male dancers either without a shirt or their shirt unbuttoned; let's see if they resist the temptation to have Lochte dance in a Speedo).
If Lochte can’t survive more than five or six shows with Cheryl, he is truly Lolo.
We know Lochte has quick moves. He showed that in how fast he got out of Brazil after his little gas station episode.
If Olympic gymnast Laurie Hernandez does not make the finals, it will be an upset. The fans will love her smile, composure and playfulness (remember that wink for the judges in Rio?) And she is used to performing in the spotlight. Gymnasts have succeeded on this show. Shawn Johnson took a first and a second, and Nastia Liukin and Aly Raisman (Hernandez’s teammate in Rio) both took fourths. And Hernandez may have more personality than those three.
Watch out for Calvin Johnson. Football players have done exceptionally well over the years. Emmitt Smith (with Burke), Hines Ward and Donald Driver all won. Jerry Rice, Jason Taylor and Warren Sapp were second. But, the football world also has its Lolo: Keyshawn Johnson was first out in season 17, bounced even before Bill Nye the Science guy.
(An aside: At first glance, you have to wonder if the producers are punishing Derek Hough for taking time off from the show. He’s paired with Marilu Henner, who might be fine but surely can’t win. Can she? Her mother ran a dance studio for years, and Henner has dance training and has done choreography. I need to make sure my 80-year-old aunt, who is America’s biggest Derek Hough fan, is not fuming. She always wants Derek to win.)
Remember: The viewers votes count, though the producers will never tell us just how much and who gets what. Figure the fans want Lochte around for the entertainment value because you never know what he will say or do. And if Burke does not choreograph a dance that involves a grimy gas station, we will all be sorely disappointed.
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