Ryan Lochte, a 12-time Olympic medalist, was suspended 1-year on July 23. The swimmer got slapped with the ban for breaking doping rules!
Ryan Lochte, 33, has been suspended until July 2019, the U. S. Anti-Doping Agency announced on July 23, according to ESPN. Michael Phelps ’s teammate and rival was slapped with the 12-month ban after he got an intravenous infusion, a method prohibited by USADA’s anti-doping rules. U. S. officials were quick to say that Ryan did not use a banned substance, but under the guidelines, athletes cannot receive IVs unless due to a hospitalization or through an exception.
Ryan kind of spilled the beans on himself, sharing a photo of himself getting an IV back in May 2018. This picture prompted an investigation, which led to his second suspension since Rio. The timing could not be any worse. He was entered in four events at the national swimming championships, which were supposed to start Wednesday in California.
Yes, this is his second suspension following the Rio 2016 games. He was hit with a 10-month ban following an international black eye, after claiming he and three other U. S. swimmers were robbed at gunpoint while in Brazil. It turns out – that wasn’t the case, as security footage and an investigation showed Ryan and his friends acting like “ugly Americans,” wrecking a Rio gas station and generally acting like fools. Well, Ryan now has a whole year to think about his actions before he’s allowed to compete in any sanctioned events. Bummer.
