U.S. Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte has reportedly been suspended until July 2019 by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency for getting an intravenous infusion, a method that broke anti-doping rules, although U.S. officials say the 12-time Olympic medalist was not using a banned substance. However, under anti-doping rules, athletes typically cannot receive IVs unless related to a hospitalization or through an exemption, according to ESPN.
The investigation started after Lochte posted a photo of himself getting the IV in May. The ban will keep him out of the next two major international meets, including the Pan Pacific Championships in August and the 2019 World Championships in South Korea. He was entered in four events at the national championships that start Wednesday in California, according to ESPN.
“On May 24, 2018, Lochte, 33, posted an image on social media depicting himself receiving an intravenous infusion,” the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency said in a press release Monday. “A subsequent investigation by USADA, with which Lochte fully cooperated, revealed that Lochte received an intravenous infusion of permitted substances at an infusion clinic in a volume greater than 100 mL in a 12-hour period without a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE)."
According to ESPN, this marks Lochte's second suspension since the Rio Olympics. He was banned for 10 months after claiming he and three other U.S. swimmers were robbed at gunpoint at those 2016 Games.
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