Olympic gold medalist Ryan Lochte hit a brick wall after being suspended by the United States Anti-Doping Agency for 14 months.
Lochte, who is among the most successful U.S. Olympians, reportedly received an illegal intravenous infusion in May. According to the USADA, the 12-time Olympic medalist received more than 100 ml of IVs in a 12-hour period. Lochte's suspension would conclude in July 2019.
The USADA kickstarted the investigation two months ago after Lochte posted a photo of himself on social media receiving an IV infusion last May 24. According to Lochte, the IV was equipped with B-complex vitamins, which can be bought at any pharmacy. Nonetheless, Lochte recognized his mistake, saying that he hopes other athletes can learn from his experience.
"A rule is a rule and I accept that there is a technical violation. I am hopeful that other athletes learn from my mistake," Lochte said.
Prior to being suspended for illegal IV infusions, Lochte was also suspended after the 2016 Olympics for making up a tale about a gas station incident. The USA Swimming suspended Lochte for 10 months before returning to competition last year.
The four-time Olympian is coming off a second-place finish in the 200-meter individual medley at the TYR Pro Swim Series held in Santa Clara. It was also his first appearance in a Pro Swim Series meet since the 2016 Olympics.
Lochte To Miss Big Events
The 33-year-old Lochte is expected to miss the U.S. National Championships, which will start this week. Lochte will also be sidelined for the Pan Pacific Championships in August and the star-studded 2019 World Championships in South Korea.
Lochte has been working hard with the hopes of making it to the Olympic team for the 2020 Olympics, which will be held in Tokyo. However, Deadspin journalist Patrick Redford believes that the Olympic hopes of Lochte are in jeopardy most especially since he broke the anti-doping rules without having any idea what he was doing.
Nonetheless, Lochte has been making every effort of changing his life since returning from the Rio Olympics. Just last March, Lochte met with the family of Stoneman Douglas High School swim team captain Nicholas Dworet. Dworet was among the victims who were killed in a shooting.
The six-time Olympic gold medalist added that he will be dedicating his swims in the 2020 Olympics in the memory of Dworet. He also married Dancing with the Stars contestant Kayla Rae Reid and had a baby boy named Caiden in June of last year.
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