The United States Anti-Doping Agency has slammed Ryan Lochte with a 14-month suspension. The agency announced on Monday that the 14-month sanction on Lochte is for using a prohibited method.
Lochte’s suspension stems from a post he shared on social media back in May which showed him receiving an IV.
In a press release issued on Monday, the agency states:
“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).”
The release continues, “Intravenous infusions or injections in a volume greater than 100 mL within a 12-hour period are prohibited at all times – except for those legitimately received in the course of hospital treatment, surgical procedures, or clinical diagnostic investigations under the USADA Protocol for Olympic and Paralympic Movement Testing, the United States Olympic Committee National Anti-Doping Policies, and the Fédération Internationale de Natation Anti-Doping Rules, all of which have adopted the World Anti-Doping Code and the World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List.”
A source who spoke on behalf of the swimmer disclosed he’s devastated.
“Ryan is devastated that something so benign could end up in a situation where he’s sanctioned for 14 months until July of next year.
“He has been drug tested for 18 years and he’s never put anything illegal in his body. This IV was filled with vitamins, all stuff you can get over the counter at a pharmacy like CVS. He was totally unaware of a rule that said you can’t take an IV of more than 100 ML.”
The source adds, “He only took it because his wife and son were really sick at the time and they had to go to the hospital. Ryan didn’t want to get sick or start feeling run down since he’s been training so he was trying to prevent getting sick. Wife and baby are doing fine now, they just feel bad for him that this happened.”
The source continues thus, “He is fully cooperating with USADA and didn’t fight it or anything like that. It’s an awful thing for him. He’s been doing so well personally and professionally that this is just a big letdown. Training-wise he was in great shape, he was supposed to compete in US Nationals for swimming in Irvine this coming weekend and he no longer is able to. This was a huge event for him, not being able to swim means he doesn’t make those teams.”
Lochte’s suspension began on May 24, the day he received the IV. The Olympic medalist won’t be able to swim for a year in any competition, “but will continue to train for his fifth Olympics coming in the summer of 2020,” the source said.
Lochte’s suspension news is coming almost two years after he was involved in the robbery scandal at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Last year, Lochte was cleared of criminal charges in the robbery scandal, however, Brazil’s Superior Court overturned that decision in June.
Reports from New York Times just weeks ago holds that prosecutors were recently cleared to pursue a criminal case against the Olympic swimmer. In response to the decision, Lochte’s lawyer, Jeff Ostrow, told TMZ that the whole thing is “absurd and disgusting,” adding that Lochte “would never be treated this way in this country.”