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FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida – Ryan Lochte posted a photo for the world, and the US Anti-Doping Agency noticed
This earned him a new suspension.
The American swim star was banned from the competition until July 2019, which means that the 12-time Olympic medalist can not compete as expected at the national championships starting this week in California. Lochte will also be ineligible for other competitions, including the Pan Pacific Championships later this year and the World Championships next year.
Lochte's offense was an intravenous injection in May – a method generally prohibited by anti-doping rules. The 14-month ban, retroactive to May 24 and announced Monday by USADA, is the second in less than two years after its 10-month suspension for its behavior during a US-based incident. drunkenness that created widespread contempt at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. 19659002] United States Lochte, who was holding a press conference Monday in South Florida to discuss the issue, was not taking prohibited stuff, he added.
In Brazil, he asked questions about his version of what happened. The weather revealed what happened – obviously oblivious to the ramifications that it would bring.
Lochte's violation was essentially revealed when he posted the photo of him getting the IV on his social media accounts. "Lochte received an intravenous infusion of substances allowed in an infusion clinic," USADA announced at the announcement of the suspension. In most cases, athletes can not receive intravenous unless they are related to hospitalization or if they are licensed under an exemption approved by the government. USADA – and Lochte does not fall into any of these categories
. In the database, only two other athletes are sanctioned for using such a method, one of them being suspended six months and the other a 14 month ban. This same database shows that before Monday, no other American swimmer in the last ten years for any reason whatsoever, including positive tests, had been suspended for more than 30 years. one year by USADA.
This week could have been an important step forward. Lochte, who competed in four events at the US championships in Irvine, California, was preparing to compete in what would have been his biggest competition since the Rio Games. Lochte said he and three other US Olympic swimmers were stolen under the threat of a gas station, a story that quickly became unraveled.
Lochte was not only suspended 10 months for this debacle, but also lost $ 100,000 in cash. He was banned from participating in the national and world championships last year.
But the greatest success was his reputation, which was less than pristine to start.
And now he is back in hot water. The USADA agreed to start the 14-month clock on May 24, the day he posted the photo that can no longer be found on his Twitter or Instagram pages. He has already said that he wanted to participate in the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, although these hopes would seem to have some doubt now.
Lochte spent much of his career presenting an image of a party animal, while his exploits in the pool – six Olympic gold medals, 36 gold medals at the world championships, not less of four world records – were overshadowed by Michael Phelps, Olympic medalist 28 times and Olympic champion 23 times
. At least four major sponsors, including Speedo USA and Ralph Lauren, although he has added some approval agreements since. He was also apparently targeted by two men wearing t-shirts carrying an anti-Locket message who rushed to the scene while he was participating in "Dancing with the Stars".
Lochte returned to competition last year. individual counter at the US Open. He has also become a father and a husband since Rio – he married the former Playboy model Kayla Rae Reid in January, seven months after the birth of their son.
Lochte will be 36 years old at the Tokyo Games. He won gold medals at the 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016 Games, and if he found a way to win another one in Tokyo, he would become the oldest Olympic swimming champion. .
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